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Reviews For: Sima First Alert WX-268

Category: Receivers: Weather Alert

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Review Summary For : Sima First Alert WX-268
Reviews: 3MSRP: 129.95
Description:
Dual EAS and NWR receivers for round-the-clock emergency coverage.
Sima’s First Alert Brand Emergency Alert Radio is designed for use before, during and after emergencies by simultaneously monitoring broadcasts by both the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and NOAA Weather Radio (NWR).
AM/FM/Weather Band clock radio

AlwaysSet™ Radio Controlled Clock

Dual alarm setting

Includes new messages for 2004 such as AMBER ALERT and 911 Call Outage.

Meets new CEA-2009 standard for Public Alert™ devices.

Scrolling LCD text display of message information.

Easy to program using full text programming. FIPS codes are no longer needed when programming your location into the WX-268. Program the state and county to set your location.

Weather Band Channel and NOAA Location Codes

(Specific Area Message Encoding) technology to select the most accurate broadcast for your location.

Automatically sounds a loud alert siren when emergency conditions such as chemical spills, tornados, civil emergencies and more occur in your area.

Never obsolete, upgradeable using a PC.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.simacorp.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0032.7
WT3844 Rating: 2010-07-02
AWFUL UNIT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
WELL I DID IT AGAIN.I THOUGHT I WOULD BUY ANOTHER 268 AFTER GETTING SCREWED ON THE FIRST ONE.I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE THE RADIO THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AND TRY ANOTHER ONE.I PURCHASED ONE FROM OLD STOCK BECAUSE THEY DONT MAKE THEM ANYMORE FOR GOOD REASON.GUESS WHAT?SAME PROBLEM.I TOOK IT OUT OF THE PACKAGE SET IT UP.3 HOURS LATER GOT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING.THE RADIO LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT SOUND THE VOICE ALERT OR DISPLAY SAME MESSAGE.TOTALLY WORTHLESS.I GUESS THIS ONE GOES IN THE GARBAGE ALSO.I AM STUPID FOR THINKING THIS ONE WOULD WORK AFTER 3 167S AND NOW TWO 268'S THAT ARE GOOD FOR THE GARBAGE.A WASTE OF MONEY.I WILL TRY TO GET MY MONEY BACK FROM SELLER.IF I DONT GET IT BACK IT IS A GOOD LESSON TO ME.DONT BUY THESE UNITS.ONE OF EVERY 5 UNITS IS PROBABLY ALL THAT WORK.FIRST ALERT SHOULD HVE HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM FOR THE 167'S AND 268'S.DO NOT TRUST YOUR FAMILY'S SAFETY TO THESE UNITS,THEY ARE GARBAGE AFTER ALL I HAVE THROWN AWAY 5 OF MY OWN STUPIDEITY.

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Earlier 0-star review posted by WT3844 on 2010-06-16

I AM REWRITING A REVIEW OF A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.SORRY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG TO REWRITE IT.MY 268 WORKED GREAT FOR ABOUT A MONTH.THEN IT STARTED LOCKING UP AND IT IS TOTALLY USELESS.I DUG IT OUT OF STORAGE LAST WEEK WONDERING WHY I HAVENT BEEN USEING IT.I HAVE MANY WEATHER ALERT RADIOS.I SOON FOUND OUT WHY I HAD STORED IT AWAY.I DUG IT OUT ON A WEDNESDAY MORNING AND SET IT UP.TEST ALERT CAME AT 11.45.IT LOCKED UP IMMEDIATLY AND WOULD NOT EVEN SOUND THE VOICE MESSAGE.MY OREGON SCIENTIFIC RADIOS ALL PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY.I THREW IT AWAY.TOTALLY A WASTE OF MONEY.I ORDERED A REECOM IT ARRIVED YESTERDAY.IT WORKS GREAT.I DONT THINK FIRST ALERT EVEN PRODUCES THE 268 ANYMORE.I CAN SEE WHY.DEPENDING ON THIS RADIO IN SEVERE WEATHER IS DANGEROUS.SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BUY ONE DONT.BUY A REECOM.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by WT3844 on 2005-07-23

THIS IS DEFINETLY THE CADILLAC OF ALERT RADIOS.HASN'T MISSED AN ALERT YET UNLIKE THE WX167 WHICH I THINK HAS SOME BUGS I OWN TWO OF THOSE,THIS IS DEFINETLY A KEEPER. ALSO THIS RECEIVER IS VERY USER FRIENDLY.I LIKE THE RADIO CONTROLLED CLOCK ALSO.BACKLITE COULD BE A LITTLE BRIGHTER BUT THAT IS THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE VERY MINOR,
K5ADF Rating: 2007-01-18
Weather alert works Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the First Alert WX268 in September 2005. This is my first weather alert radio. It was easy to set up and receives the test signals and weather alerts without any problems. I live in San Antonio so the NOAA station is local. I keep it in my radio shack where I also have a MFJ123 Atomic clock wall mounted. The MFJ locks onto the time signal, but the WX268 does not. Since I only use the WX268 as a weather alert, the lack of NIST time lock is not important. The alert is loud and would wake anyone in the house.

I use the radio capability from time to time to listen to the local NPR station (low power). The reception is clear but again local. I have not tried to update the unit from my PC so I cannot comment on that capability. I have not had any problem with RFI from my HF radio running 600 watts.

The WX268 is functional and I am satisfied with it.
N1KSN Rating: 2006-01-30
First unit didn't work Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This radio seems OK, and it was easy enough to program. However, the first unit I purchased did not capture alerts--the whole reason for having the radio. I sent the unit in under warranty and received a second unit soon thereafter from Sima, but with no explanation. The second unit seems to work.

The programming was especially easy, because one doesn't need to know the SAME codes for your area, as these are programmed in. You only need to select your state, county, and sub-county region (if desired).

I did need to move the unit around my house to find a place where it picked up the NIST time signal. Unfortunately, this was not in our bedroom, my preferred location. Perhaps it is for the best, as the alert signal on HI is loud!

I'm giving a score of 4 because of the defective first unit I received. Otherwise, this is a good weather alert radio with lots of features.