Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio

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Radar Detectors » Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio
Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Alert Radio
Marketplace (2 New)
  1. Electronics
  2. Publisher: Midland Consumer Radio
  3. Sales Rank in Electronics: #45393

Product Review

You won't get caught off guard by the weather again with the Midland(r) hand-held weather alert radio. It's tapped into NOAA weather broadcasts on 7 frequencies and utilizes S.A.M.E. technology to help eliminate false weather alert alarms. Perfect for cold weather climes with the freeze warning alert, the radio also functions as an alarm clock with a snooze function.

Amazon.com Product Review

Stay informed of current local weather and hazard conditions whether you're camping, hiking, hunting, or just hanging around the house with this handheld Midland weather alert radio. Capable of receiving seven National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA) channels--each of which receives emergency advisories on tornadoes, floods, severe thunderstorms, civil danger warnings, and more--the 74-250C is a must for people who live in high-risk weather areas, or for people who just want a little extra protection when hitting the outdoors. Plus, the seven NOAA channels offer coverage for roughly 93 percent of the U.S., so most residents are well covered regardless of where they live.

Another valuable function is the radio's Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) reception. SAME allows users to program the radio to sound an alert only when weather and other emergencies threaten a specific county or counties. The technology eliminates all alerts from other areas, so users won't perk up their ears each time the alert sounds only to learn that the emergency is actually 100 miles up the highway. The 74-250C's memory system accepts up to nine counties, so you can monitor a broad swatch of counties at once or restrict it to one.

Should an alert occur, users have a choice of three warning systems: a 90 dB siren, a voice alert, or a flashing red LED light. The siren is the best option for people who might not have their radios nearby at all times, while the latter two alerts are a bit less extreme on the ears. The digital panel, meanwhile, displays up to 56 messages, so you'll instantly know what's coming your way. Additional features include a built-in thermometer with a freeze alert that notifies you when the temperature drops below freezing, a full-function clock with an alarm and snooze button, an external earphone jack, and a water-resistant housing.

The radio, which works with two AA batteries (not included), measures 2.38 by 4 by 1.25 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
74-250C radio, user's manual.

Product Features

Accessories

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
2.7 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars I've tried them all -- this one is better than most, August 6, 2005
Mel Beckman (Oxnard not just a pretty name, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio (Electronics)
Alas, the problem is that none of the handheld S.A.M.E. radios are very good. The main problem is short battery life -- the best units run perhaps a few days in monitoring mode, the worst a few hours. This one runs for about a week if you don't touch it, but manipulating the controls consumes the batteries in less than a day.

The other problem is the user interface. Why do manufacturers insist on overloading controls to the point of idiocy? I have to read the manual every time I want to change a setting on any of these radios -- the interaces are completing nonintuitive.

Despite these caveats, the Midland 74-250C does its job -- a reasonably sensetive receiver and clear alph-numeric LCD display. I had to buy one of every handheld S.A.M.E radio available for a product review, and this one is the winner.


39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Midland 74-250 weather radio, August 30, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio (Electronics)
The Midland 74-250 weather radio is good choice for weather alerts while pursuing outdoors activities as it has many alerts and the S.A.M.E.(Specific Area Message Encoding) feature, but keep in mind some negatives: When I purchased mine, It was listed as having rechargable batteries and a wall charger. It apparently no longer comes with it. From the Midland web site (an older page):"Includes:
Alarm Clock
Digital Thermometer
Digital Clock
9 Programmable S.A.M.E
Rechargeable Batteries
Wall Charger" and from the FAQ:"Q. What charger for the 74-250 Handheld Weather Radio?
Ans. 200 Milliamp 6volt charger, and please make sure that the plug fits the jack."Midland does not list a charger.
The radio loses the date and time when the batteries are changed, but it keeps the county code.
Programming is difficult, keep the manual handy.
Both alarms are turned on when the batteries are changed.
It requires a...Read more


25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great for emergency -- but of no use as a warning monitor, February 4, 2006
Thomas Murphy (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Midland 74-250C SAME Handheld Weather Alert Radio (Electronics)
Like others have said, this radio performs poorly with respect to battery life. The display is good, reception is fine, but put it in warning mode where it is just listening for alerts and batteries are lucky to make a week. The controls are not hard to use but the quality is poor and I have buttons that stick on occasion. So, you need something to dump in an emergency backpack for use after an emergency this is great but if you want to monitor for events you want wall power combined with batteries.

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