EAS National Test on October 4th

[davideduardo]

The NAB has a fact sheet and preparation guide for the upcoming EAS test:

Prepare for the Upcoming Nationwide EAS Test
October 4, 2023

https://www.nab.org/documents/legal/2023EASTest.pdf?utm_campaign=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=email&utm_source=2023+-+EAS+091223&utm_content=https%3a%2f%2fwww.nab.org%2fdocuments%2flegal%2f2023EASTest.pdf

FCC Public Notice: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-23-653A1.pdf

FEMA Press Release FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

EAS is such a rotten load of moose dung. Its absolutely useless up here, our monitoring source is 250 miles awya, by satellite and unless theres a dire grab your tucchis and kiss it goodbye national emergency, it carriers nothing of interest up here... BUt, we have one because were federally required to. Another way to make us pay for new equipment when they release some supposed update .. and another way to fine us if we dont have it or its not working

 

[Kelly A]

EAS is such a rotten load of moose dung. Its absolutely useless up here, our monitoring source is 250 miles awya, by satellite and unless theres a dire grab your tucchis and kiss it goodbye national emergency, it carriers nothing of interest up here... BUt, we have one because were federally required to. Another way to make us pay for new equipment when they release some supposed update .. and another way to fine us if we dont have it or its not working

There should at least be a local NWS transmitter in the area. That and iPaws should get you where you need to be.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

There should at least be a local NWS transmitter in the area. That and iPaws should get you where you need to be.

The nearest one is 250 miles SW in Behtel and after that the next nearet are in the neighborhood north of 300 miles away in Nome, Kotzebue and Dillingham.

Thats why we monitor a satellite feed.. and IPAWs wont make much difference. The "yukon Koyukuk Census Area" (we dont have counties) is very very large

 

[Kelly A]

The nearest one is 250 miles SW in Behtel and after that the next nearet are in the neighborhood north of 300 miles away in Nome, Kotzebue and Dillingham.

Thats why we monitor a satellite feed.. and IPAWs wont make much difference. The "yukon Koyukuk Census Area" (we dont have counties) is very very large

I was just suggesting how you would get the National test. Your EAS box should already be connected to iPAWS via your Starlink In A Bucket(tm).

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I was just suggesting how you would get the National test. Your EAS box should already be connected to iPAWS via your Starlink In A Bucket(tm).

oh right, i know the national test will work, it has before.. i just meant, overall, in general... eas is useless

 

[Kelly A]

oh right, i know the national test will work, it has before.. i just meant, overall, in general... eas is useless

For the most part, I agree. I'm subscribed to the SBE EAS remailer. Some rural stations are using SiriusXM in lieu of an LP for similar reasons. They don't like it when I chime in that since SXM's SAGE is located in Washington, D.C., and monitors WTOP locally, how would it help a rural station, say in the Midwest? I get it, they're trying to be compliant, but I don't believe monitoring a subscription radio service would be considered compliant.

 

[MarcB]

We've had a few EAS Fails here in Connecticut over the years. I was listening to my walkman while out for a walk when the EAS went off for an Amber Alert and on one of the stations it was so soft you could barely hear it. I know it was an Amber Alert because I had heard it a few minutes earlier on another station.

And this story I know I've told before. I was driving somewhere listening to 99.5 Bomba Radio (a translator for WMRQ HD2) and the EAS Test went off. I believe they did the whole spiel about an EAS test. Then there were faint EAS tones, but Bomba's programming didn't resume. For a good 10 minutes what I heard on 99.5 was loud over-modulating music in English of some other station - presumably the station they use to relay the EAS. Then the EAS tones went off again and finally Bomba's programming resumed. At that time Bomba's studios were in Glastonbury, CT and the 99.5 translator (licensed ro Clinton) was on Meriden Mountain.

 

[secondchoice]

I don't know about rural Alaska but wouldn't a class A or B AM work as a backup on distance or terrain challenged locations? You might have to have a daytime and a nighttime receiver. Can you hook up an EAS receiver to a cable system? IIRC you couldn't on the old EBS system. Will the EAS system tone on cell phones?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

For the most part, I agree. I'm subscribed to the SBE EAS remailer. Some rural stations are using SiriusXM in lieu of an LP for similar reasons. They don't like it when I chime in that since SXM's SAGE is located in Washington, D.C., and monitors WTOP locally, how would it help a rural station, say in the Midwest? I get it, they're trying to be compliant, but I don't believe monitoring a subscription radio service would be considered compliant.

Written by the actual FCC:

We are aware that many EAS Participants already monitor multiple broadcast-based sources.
However, we continue to emphasize the importance of multiple monitoring sources as required by our
rules. We also recommend that stations located far from PEP stations consider the viability, technically
and otherwise, of satellite sources of the broadcast alert, such as NPR Squawk Channel, Premiere
Networks, and SiriusXM

I would categorize monitoring SiriusXM for presidential alerts as "encouraged, but neither required nor sufficient." It remains the case that the only sources local stations are required to monitor are their LP1 and LP2 stations, as assigned by their state EAS coordinator.

Quoted from: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-378861A1.pdf, pg 18-19.

I don't know about rural Alaska but wouldn't a class A or B AM work as a backup on distance or terrain challenged locations?

That's how the system works. The backbone of the EAS system are Class A AMs like WSM, KFI, WWL and KMOX -- the Primary Entry Points. Local primary stations monitor the PEPs.

For me, living in Kentucky, the test should go something like this:
FEMA: Sends test through to the PEP stations.
WSM, nearest Primary Entry Point: Broadcasts Test
WKMS, Local Primary for west Kentucky: Will monitor WSM, WLW, and Kentucky Educational TV (for state alerts) and the NPR PRSS "squawk" satellite channel. Whoever gets it out first will be rebroadcast by WKMS.

All stations in Kentucky are encouraged to monitor WSM or WLW, plus NOAA Weather Radio. But again, not required.

 

[Kelly A]

Written by the actual FCC:


I would categorize monitoring SiriusXM for presidential alerts as "encouraged, but neither required nor sufficient." It remains the case that the only sources local stations are required to monitor are their LP1 and LP2 stations, as assigned by their state EAS coordinator.

But the point remains; monitoring SXM based out of Washington, D.C. is not a substitute for monitoring a local LP1/PEP or news station that likely would have ties to a local municipality. As stated in your quote, it only creates an additional option for federally generated EAS, which is also available via NWS and iPAWS.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I don't know about rural Alaska but wouldn't a class A or B AM work as a backup on distance or terrain challenged locations? You might have to have a daytime and a nighttime receiver. Can you hook up an EAS receiver to a cable system? IIRC you couldn't on the old EBS system. Will the EAS system tone on cell phones?

Not where we are...we are 200 miles form the nearest operating AM station AND the forecast zones here with the NWS change every 100-125-150 miles, so if we could hear an AM, it would be for a zone that has different weather and concerns then us.. like KNSA....... 200 miles away and its near the water.

There are some cable systems in the interior, but not a ton.. mcgraths went out of business around 2001-2002.

Like i said, we monitor EAS by satellite.

 

[CTListener]

For me, living in Kentucky, the test should go something like this:
FEMA: Sends test through to the PEP stations.
WSM, nearest Primary Entry Point: Broadcasts Test
WKMS, Local Primary for west Kentucky: Will monitor WSM, WLW, and Kentucky Educational TV (for state alerts) and the NPR PRSS "squawk" satellite channel.

What is the NPR Squawk Channel?

 

[radiofan2023]

What is the NPR Squawk Channel?

I think my ex is on that channel.....

 

[secondchoice]

Written by the actual FCC:


I would categorize monitoring SiriusXM for presidential alerts as "encouraged, but neither required nor sufficient." It remains the case that the only sources local stations are required to monitor are their LP1 and LP2 stations, as assigned by their state EAS coordinator.

Quoted from: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-378861A1.pdf, pg 18-19.



That's how the system works. The backbone of the EAS system are Class A AMs like WSM, KFI, WWL and KMOX -- the Primary Entry Points. Local primary stations monitor the PEPs.

For me, living in Kentucky, the test should go something like this:
FEMA: Sends test through to the PEP stations.
WSM, nearest Primary Entry Point: Broadcasts Test
WKMS, Local Primary for west Kentucky: Will monitor WSM, WLW, and Kentucky Educational TV (for state alerts) and the NPR PRSS "squawk" satellite channel. Whoever gets it out first will be rebroadcast by WKMS.

All stations in Kentucky are encouraged to monitor WSM or WLW, plus NOAA Weather Radio. But again, not required.

Back in the day WIKI used WAMZ which was in the same building as WHAS. One would think middle KY would use WHAS. It's a class A.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

What is the NPR Squawk Channel?

Its a channel for NPR member stations ops staff to get on the fly by the second/minute changes to schedules, clocks and programming