VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 12
VEC438
O N E YEAR LIMITED WARRAN TY PRO GRAM
This limited warranty program is the only one that applies to this product, and it sets forth all the responsibilities of Vector
Manufacturing, regarding this product. There is no other warranty, other than those described herein. Any implied
warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose on this product is limited in duration to the duration of
this warranty.
by
Stormtracker
Series
This Vector Manufacturing product is warranted, to the original purchaser only, to be free of defects in materials and
workmanship for one year from the date of purchase without additional charge. The warranty does not extend to
subsequent purchasers or users. Manufacturer will not be responsible for any amount of damage in excess of the retail
purchase price of the product under any circumstances. Incidental and consequential damages are specifically excluded
from coverage under this warranty.
FM Wea ther Alert Ra dio
FM Wea ther Alert Ra d io, Fla shlig ht
a nd Cell Phone Cha rg er
This product is not intended for commercial use. This warranty does not apply to damage to units from misuse or incorrect
installation/ connection. Misuse includes wiring or connecting to improper polarity power sources.
RETURN/ REPAIR POLICY: Defective products may be returned to manufacturer. Any defective product that is returned to
manufacturer within 30 days of the date of purchase will be replaced free of charge. If such a product is returned more
than 30 days but less than one year from the purchase date, manufacturer will repair the unit or, at its option, replace it,
free of charge.
If the unit is repaired, new or reconditioned replacement parts may be used, at manufacturer’s option. A unit may be
replaced with a new or reconditioned unit of the same or comparable design. The repaired or replaced unit will then be
warranted under the terms of the remainder of the warranty period. The customer is responsible for the shipping charges
on all returned items. During the warranty period, manufacturer will be responsible for the return shipping charges to the
customer in the United States.
LIMITATIONS: This warranty does not cover accessories, such as charging adapters, bulbs, fuses and batteries, damage
or defects resulting from normal wear and tear (including chips, scratches, abrasions, discoloration or fading due to
usage or exposure to sunlight), accidents, damage during shipping to our service facility, alterations, unauthorized use
or repair, neglect, misuse, abuse, failure to follow instructions for care and maintenance, fire, flood and Acts of God.
If your problem is not covered by this warranty, call our Technical Support Department toll free at (866) 584-5504 for
general repair information and charges if applicable. You may also contact us through our website at
STATE LAW RIGHTS: This warranty gives you specific legal rights. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an
implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the exclusions or
limitations stated herein may not apply. This warranty gives the purchaser specific legal rights; other rights, which vary
from state to state, may apply.
TO REQUEST WARRANTY SERVICE FOR THIS PRODUCT: Contact Technical Support by telephone, fax or mail (see
below). We suggest that you keep the original packaging in case you need to ship the unit. When returning a product,
include your name, address, phone number, dated sales receipt (or copy) and a description of the reason for return and
product serial number. After repairing or replacing the unit, we will make every effort to return it to you within four weeks.
USER’S MAN UAL
& WARRAN TY IN FO RMATIO N
WARRANTY ACTIVATION: Please complete Warranty Activation Card and mail to Vector Manufacturing. Enter “VEC438”
as Model and “FM Weather Alert Radio” as Product Type. All Vector products must be registered within 30 days of
purchase to activate this warranty. Mail the completed registration form, along with a copy of the original sales receipt, to:
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION, SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
ATTN.: CUSTOMER SERVICE
THIS MANUAL CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING SAFETY,
OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE OF THIS PRODUCT. READ
CAREFULLY BEFORE USE, AND RETAIN FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
4140 SW 30th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312
• TOLL FREE: (866) 584-5504 • FAX: (954) 584-5556 •
WARRANTY IS NON-TRANSFERABLE.
BD040706
4140 S.W. 30th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312
Toll Free: (866) 584-5504
© 2006 VECTOR MANUFACTURING
MADE IN CHINA
w w w .ve cto rm fg .co m
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page iv
TABLE O F CO N TEN TS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control and Function Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOAA Weather Radio S.A.M.E. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Rechargeable Battery Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using 120 Volt AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Charging/ Recharging the Rechargeable Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Programming the Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Time, Date and Alarm Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the County (S.A.M.E.) Code(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Alert Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operating the FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
6
8
9
Operating the Weather Band Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Using the S.A.M.E. Weather Alert Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Using the Weather Band Audio Alert Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Operating the LED Flashlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Cell Phone Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
IN TRO DUCTIO N
Thank you for purchasing the FM We a th e r Ale rt Ra d io . Please read this
manual carefully before use to ensure optimum performance and avoid
damage to the unit.
FEATURES
• Digital FM/ NOAA Weather Alert Radio with S.A.M.E. Alert technology
• Programmable alarm instantly responds to S.A.M.E. hazard alerts
• Ultra bright 3 LED Flashlight
• Cell Phone Charger with Universal Cell Phone Adapter Set
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 2
• Built-in Dynamo Hand-Crank recharges the Rechargeable Battery Pack for
Radio, LED Light and Cell Phone Charging
NWR broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of
hazards: weather (e.g., tornadoes, floods), natural (e.g., earthquakes,
forest fires and volcanic activity), technological (e.g., chemical releases, oil
spills, nuclear power plant emergencies, etc.), and national emergencies
(e.g., terrorist attacks). Working with other Federal agencies and the
Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System
(EAS), NWR is an all-hazards radio network, making it the most
comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public.
• AC Charging Cradle and AC Power Adapter to charge the Rechargeable
Battery Pack and power the unit
• Earphone Jack for private listening (earphone/ headphones not supplied)
Co n tro l a n d Fu n ctio n Gu id e
S.A.M.E. technology, a new feature in the NOAA Weather Radio system,
allows listeners to pre-select the NWS Alerts that they want to receive, based
on the county where they live. Weather radios equipped with S.A.M.E.
technology (such as this VEC4 3 8 ) provide immediate information about life-
threatening situations.
TELESCOPING
3 LED FLASHLIGHT
ANTENNA
VOLUME CONTROL
DIGITAL LCD
PUSHBUTTONS
WEATHER ALERT
DISPLAY
DYNAMO
HAND-CRANK
RADIO STATION
TUNER
STATEMENT/
WATCH/ WARNING
LED INDICATORS
PUSHBUTTONS
PO W ER SUPPLY
POWER ON/ OFF
PUSHBUTTON
The unit can be powered in one of three ways: four (4) “AAA” dry cell
batteries (not included), the supplied Rechargeable Battery Pack (that can be
Hand-Crank or AC Charged) or using the supplied AC Charging Cradle
and 120 Volt AC Power Adapter plugged into a functioning standard North
American 120 volt AC outlet.
MEMORY
PUSHBUTTON
LED FLASHLIGHT
POWER PUSHBUTTON
RADIO BAND
PUSHBUTTON
SELECTORS
MENU
PUSHBUTTON
CHANNEL/ SNOOZE
PUSHBUTTON
CELL PHONE
CHARGER
EARPHONE JACK
(EARPHONE/ HEADPHONES
NOT SUPPLIED)
Usin g Ba tte ry Po w e r
SPEAKER
To use dry cell batteries, snap open the battery compartment lock (located
on the bottom back side of the unit) and lift off the cover. Install four “AAA”
dry cell batteries, replace the cover and relock.
Note s: W he n insta lling or re p la cing the “ AAA” d ry ce ll b a tte rie s:
DO NO T m ix old a nd ne w b a tte rie s.
AC CHARGING
CRADLE
POWER AND
CHARGING LEDS
AC POWER
ADAPTER
UNIVERSAL CELL PHONE
CHARGING ADAPTER SET
DO NO T m ix a lk a line , sta nd a rd (ca rb on-zinc) a nd re cha rg e a b le
(nick e l ca d m ium ) b a tte rie s.
N O AA We a th e r Ra d io S.A.M.E. (Sp e cific Are a Me ssa g e
En co d in g ) O ve rvie w
NWR broadcasts National Weather Service (NWS) warnings, watches,
forecasts and other non-weather related hazard information 24 hours a day.
During an emergency, NWS forecasters interrupt routine broadcasts and
Usin g Re ch a rg e a b le Ba ck u p Ba tte ry Po w e r
In order to power the unit exclusively using the Rechargeable Battery Pack,
you must first charge the unit as described in the “Charging/ Recharging the
Rechargeable Battery Pack” section that follows.
send a special tone activating local weather radios.
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 4
Usin g 1 2 0 Vo lt AC Po w e r
Se ttin g th e Tim e , Da te a n d Ala rm Clo ck
Place the unit in the supplied AC Charging Cradle. Connect the supplied
120 Volt AC Adapter’s barrel connector to the Cradle’s DC In Port, and its
two-prong plug into a functioning standard North American outlet.
Use the Time Set menu to set the unit’s Clock and Date display. This is also
the time and date that will be attached to scrolling Alert messages, so these
settings should be accurate before you use the S.A.M.E. Weather Alert
feature.
Ch a rg in g / Re ch a rg in g th e Re ch a rg e a b le Ba tte ry Pa ck
Refer to the “Control and Function Guide” on page 2.
Se ttin g th e Clo ck
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
To recharge the unit’s Rechargeable Battery Pack using the 12 volt AC
charging method, set up the unit as described in the “120 Volt AC Power”
section above. The Rechargeable Battery Pack will recharge automatically
(whether the unit is in use or not) once it is set up in the AC Charging Cradle.
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “TIME” displays.
To recharge the unit’s Rechargeable Battery Pack using the Dynamo Hand-
Crank, open (flip up) the Dynamo Hand-Crank’s handle and hand-crank in
a clockwise direction (at a rate of approximately 1-2 revolutions per second
with all functions turned OFF for best results).
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. First “CLOCK” will display, then
the hour will flash. Use the Menu Pushbutton to set the hour.
4. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The minutes will flash.
Use the Menu Pushbutton to set the minutes.
CAUTIO N S
5. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store the changes.
Be fo re first use , th e un it’s Re ch a rg e a b le Ba tte ry Pa ck sh o uld
b e ch a rg e d fo r a full 1 0 h o urs usin g th e sup p lie d AC Ch a rg in g
Cra d le a n d 1 2 0 Vo lt AC Ad a p te r.
Se ttin g th e Da te
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
Th e Re ch a rg e a b le Ba tte ry Pa ck is a n a cce sso ry e x clusive to
th is un it. Co n ta ct m a n ufa cture r fo r re p la ce m e n t.
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “TIME” displays.
PRO GRAMMIN G THE UN IT
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. First “CLOCK” will display.
Press it again and “DATE” will display. The year will flash. Use the
Menu Pushbutton to set the year.
Before using the Weather Radio Alert feature, the unit should be
programmed with the Date and Time, as well as the user’s County (FIPS –
Federal Information Processing Standards) Code(s) (to indicate which
specific area or areas to monitor for NWS Alerts) and preferred Alarm
mode (Voice or Siren).
4. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The month will flash. Use
the Menu Pushbutton to set the month.
5. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The day will flash. Use
the Menu Pushbutton to set the day.
With the unit turned ON, press and hold the Menu Button on the Program
Control Panel (see “Control and Function Guide,” page 2) for a few
seconds. The screen will display “ALERT” to indicate you are in
programming mode.
6. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store the changes.
When you have finished setting the Clock and Date, press the Memory
Pushbutton once more to return to standby mode.
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 6
Se ttin g th e Ala rm Clo ck
IMPO RTAN T IN FO RMATIO N
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
Yo u ca n o b ta in th e 6 -d ig it S.A.M.E. Co d e (s) fo r yo ur lo ca l a re a :
• o n lin e a t w w w .n w s.n o a a .g o v/ n w r/ in d e x n w .h tm ; o r
• b y te le p h o n e a t (8 8 8 ) 6 9 7 -7 2 6 3 .
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “ALARM” displays.
Se ttin g th e Un it fo r ALL Co un tie s
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. First “ON” will display. Use the
Menu Pushbutton to toggle between Alarm ON and Alarm OFF mode.
4. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The hour will flash. Use
the Menu Pushbutton to set the hour.
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “COUNTY” displays.
5. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The minutes will flash.
Use the Menu Pushbutton to set the minutes.
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. First “SINGLE” will display.
Press the Menu Pushbutton until “ALL” displays.
6. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store the changes.
4. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store your selection.
When you have finished setting the Alarm Clock, press the Memory
Pushbutton once more to return to standby mode.
Se ttin g th e Un it fo r a SINGLE Co un ty
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
Se ttin g th e Co u n ty (S.A.M.E.) Co d e (s)
To utilize your Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) Weather Radio,
you need to program your specific S.A.M.E. (County) Code (or Codes).
Marine codes can also be programmed.
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “COUNTY” displays.
When you program your Weather Radio for “ALL” counties, it will respond
to all NWS Alerts within the local NWR transmitter area (typically several
counties or approximately 40 miles). To receive the actual S.A.M.E.
messages, you must have first programmed in a “base” S.A.M.E. (County)
Code (see “Setting the Unit for a SINGLE County” for directions). You will
then receive all Alert messages for the approximately 40 mile radius around
that County when “ALL” is selected.
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. “SINGLE” will display.
4. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The 6-digit S.A.M.E.
code displays with the first number flashing. Use the Menu Pushbutton
to set the first digit.
5. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The second number will
flash. Use the Menu Pushbutton to set the second digit.
6. Repeat until all six digits have been set.
“SINGLE” (the default setting) sets the unit to respond to S.A.M.E. Alerts for a
single user-programmed FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) code.
7. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store your selection and return to the
County Programming Menu.
“MULTIPLE” sets the Weather Radio to respond to S.A.M.E. Alerts for up to
10 user-programmed FIPS codes.
When you have finished setting the County Code, press the Memory
Pushbutton once more to return to standby mode.
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 8
Se ttin g th e Un it fo r MULTIPLE Co un tie s
3. Press the Radio ON/ OFF Pushbutton once more to save your selection.
1. Press and hold the Menu Pushbutton for a few seconds to access the
different programming modes. The display will show “ALERT” (the Alert
Programming Menu).
Note s: Se e p a g e s 6 -8 for inform a tion a b out se tting the S.A.M.E.
County Cod e (s) to b e st utilize the We a the r Ale rt fe a ture .
O FF Se ttin g
2. Pressing the Menu Pushbutton again will scroll through the different
Programming Menus. Press the Pushbutton until “CODE XX” displays.
The OFF setting is self-explanatory. In this mode, the unit does not respond
to NWS Alerts. This is the default setting for the unit.
3. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton. First “SINGLE” will display.
Press the Menu Pushbutton until “MULTIPLE” displays.
VO ICE Se ttin g
In VOICE setting, the Radio emits an alert tone for 10 seconds (only) when
a NWS Alert is received, then the Weather Radio automatically turns on.
4. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. “COUNTY ” displays,
followed by a two-digit number (i.e., “01”). Use the Menu Pushbutton
to assign a county number.
SIREN Se ttin g
5. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The 6-digit S.A.M.E.
code displays with the first number flashing. Use the Menu Pushbutton
to set the first digit.
In SIREN setting, the Radio emits an alert siren tone for 30 seconds when a
NWS Alert is received, then the Weather Radio automatically turns on and
an ongoing alert tone continues to sound. To silence the alert tone, press the
Menu Pushbutton.
6. Press the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton again. The second number will
flash. Use the Menu Pushbutton to set the second digit.
Ale rt Me m o ry Acce ss
7. Repeat until all six digits have been set.
The unit can record up to 20 Alerts, scrolling the most recent on the LCD
Program Display. You can access earlier Alerts (and their corresponding
information) by pressing the Memory Pushbutton (see the “Control and
Function Guide” on page 2).
8. Press the Memory Pushbutton to store your selection and return to the
County Programming Menu.
9. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 for each desired County Code.
Alerts will be displayed in the order in which they were received, most-
recent to oldest. If the Alert was valid for a limited time period and that
period has expired, an “expired” icon will appear on the top right corner
of the LCD Program Display when that message scrolls.
Note : The VEC4 3 8 ca n store up to 1 0 County (S.A.M.E.) Cod e s.
When you have finished setting the County Codes, press the Memory
Pushbutton once more to return to standby mode.
Se ttin g th e Ale rt Mo d e
Once the unit has been programmed properly and set in Alert Mode, Alert
messages will scroll across the LCD Program Display when detected. The
appropriate LED indicator will be lit under the message (Watch, Warning or
Statement).
O PERATIN G THE FM RADIO
See the “Control and Function Guide” on page 2 to locate referenced controls.
• Turn the Radio ON by pressing the Power ON/ OFF Pushbutton.
• Extend the Telescoping Antenna for best reception.
Use the Alert Programming Menu to select the way the Weather Radio
responds to a S.A.M.E. Alert. The settings are OFF, VOICE or SIREN.
• Select the FM radio band by pressing the FM Pushbutton.
• Select a station using the digital Radio Station Tuner Pushbuttons.
• Adjust the volume using the digital Volume Control Pushbuttons.
1. Press the Menu Pushbutton to enter programming mode. The display
will show “ALERT” (the Alert Programming Menu).
2. Press the Channel/ Snooze Button to scroll through the options (Siren,
Voice or OFF).
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VEC438_ManualEN_040706 4/10/06 4:07 PM Page 10
• Select your preferred Alert Mode (see page 8 for instructions) to
determine how the unit responds to an Alert.
• Insert an earphone or headphone (not included) into the Earphone Jack if
private listening is desired.
• Press the WB Radio Band Selector Pushbutton once more to mute the radio
and put the unit in Alert Standby Mode. This pushbutton is used to toggle
between audio ON and audio OFF while the unit scans for an Alert.
Note s: W hile in Ale rt m od e , the FM a nd We a the r Ra d io w ill function
norm a lly until a S.A.M.E. Ale rt is re ce ive d .
O PERATIN G THE W EATHER BAN D RADIO
Refer to the “Control and Function Guide” on page 2 to locate referenced
controls.
• Turn the Radio ON by pressing the Power ON/ OFF Pushbutton.
• Extend the Telescoping Antenna for best reception.
O PERATIN G THE LED FLASHLIGHT
• Select the Weather radio band (WB) by pressing the WB Pushbutton.
The Flashlight is controlled by the LED Flashlight ON/ OFF Pushbutton on the
side of the unit.
• Select a NOAA station using the Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton to cycle
through the pre-programmed NOAA stations.
• Adjust the volume using the digital Volume Control Pushbuttons.
USIN G THE CELL PHO N E CHARGIN G PO RT
• Insert an earphone or headphone (not included) into the Earphone Jack if
private listening is desired.
The unit does not need to be turned ON in order to use the Cell Phone
Charging function.
Usin g th e S.A.M.E. We a th e r Ale rt Fe a tu re
Attach the appropriate tip (from among those supplied. shown to the right)
to the socket end of the Cell Phone Charging Adapter
cord and plug this into the cell phone. Plug the barrel
tip end of the cord into the Cell Phone Charger (see the
“Control and Function Guide” on page 2).
Once the unit has been programmed (see page 4), it will display S.A.M.E.
scrolling text messages as they are received. To hear the full NWS audio
alert, set up the unit as described in the next section.
Usin g th e We a th e r Ba n d Au d io Ale rt Fe a tu re
Cell phones can be recharged from any of the available
power sources, including the Dynamo Hand-Crank.
The Alert function is only available when WB (Weather radio band) has
been selected with the appropriate Radio Band Selector Pushbutton and the
NOAA station is tuned in.
CAUTIO N
Sup p lie d ce ll p h o n e ch a rg in g tip s m a y n o t w o rk w ith a ll ce ll
p h o n e s. Using the wrong tip may damage your device. Manufacturer is
not responsible for damage caused in this manner. Verify tip compatibility
with your cell phone manufacturer or consult your cell phone user manual
before using this unit's cell phone charging feature.
• Turn the Radio ON by pressing the Power ON/ OFF Pushbutton.
• Extend the Telescoping Antenna for best reception.
• Select the Weather Radio Band (WB) by pressing the WB Radio Band
Selector Pushbutton.
• Select the NO AA station with the strongest signal using the
Channel/ Snooze Pushbutton to cycle through the pre-programmed
NOAA stations.
• Adjust the volume using the digital Volume Control Pushbuttons.
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