Customer Reviews
Old Model Weather Radio 
2008-03-17
There are newer models for portable weather radios that fix some of the problems in the reviews listed here, including the WR113 that includes a charging dock, and the WR601 that has non-volatile memory and a dock, so you don't have to input your SAME codes after the battery runs out.
Oregon Scientific Portable All Hazard Radio 
2007-09-29
A great tool to own especially when you are outdoor in the elements. It forecast the weather conditions, such as forth coming storms, the temperature, the winds speed and much more. Excellent gift for the outdoors persons!
When I need it most all I get is static 2007-06-28
I've had this radio for a couple years. It works OK in the city. When I went camping in the Adirondack Mountains all I got was static. OK, I wasn't too surprised, although I would think there would be service up there for the mountain climbers' safety (The ADKs have many peaks and is home to the Army's 10th Mountain Division).
But I was sure it would work on Cape Cod. Not in the campground in Orleans. Not even on the docks in Provincetown, surrounded by big commercial fishing trawlers, whale-watching ships catering to the tourists, and private luxury vessels. Now, WHERE, you might ask, would be a more likely place for NOAA to provide weather radio service? Oh, did I mention that Cape Cod is also home to the Woods Hole Oceanagraphic Institute?
Now that I'm home with a roof over my head and surrounded by brick walls, the darned thing won't stay off, it has to keep warning me about the thunderstorms currently rattling my windows. Now that I don't need it, it works great.
Less Than Expected 
2007-06-14
I bought the Oregon Scientific WR102 to supplement an older weather alert clock radio that did not have the SAME feature. I never could get it to work right. I set it according to the instructions and missed alerts that my other older radio picked up. My wife took the WR102 to work and tried to get it to work there and got the same results; it would not pick up local NOAA alerts. It would pick up the local NOAA station when the NOAA button was pressed.
I bought the Oregon Scientific WR103NX to replace my WR102 and it works fine. I have had no problem with it and both radios are programmed in exactly the same way. Maybe I just got a bad radio. It happens. My suggestion is to pay a little more for the WR103NX (which comes with a docking stand, alkaline batteries, DC converter and a "non-volatile" memory that preserves your settings if the batteries die).
kayak, boaters weather radio 2007-05-05
This does get the S.A.M.E. channels, has EOM also, but it loses the memory when your batteries go dead. I get only a few days from my rechargeable (option) batteries. Then I have to reprogram (yes, put the SAME codes back in) again. Thats a pain! It's been freezing up. On 8/4/08, it paid for itself. The Tornado warnings and Thunderstorm warnings were fast and furious in the upper midwest. Even Wrigley Field 41,000 people, was under a Tornado Warning. (3 touched down in the Chicago area.) (The above was added after a year of use.)
This was written a few months after I recieved it.
"I love this weather radio. I go kayaking and camping every weekend in the summer. This little radio is a must. When in State forests in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois.. storms come up fast. I always enter the local SAME numbers and have it on. Has saved me from being on the water or in the open.. many, many times when storms have suddenly come up."
Compact Peace of Mind 
2007-03-02
This Oregon Scientific handheld All Hazards/Weather radio can be programmed to receive and display alerts, watches and warnings that apply only to your local area. Featuring advanced S.A.M.E. technology (Specific Area Message Encoding), individual counties can be programmed to eliminate false alerts. The portable radio tunes all seven NOAA Weather Radio channels across the country, thus making it ideal for travelers as well as hikers, campers, fishermen, skiers and all other lovers of the great outdoors.Receives continuous 24-hour National Weather Service broadcasts as well as emergency weather warnings plus alerts about other conditions affecting life and property. Automatic system triggers radio speaker plus audible-visual alerts when the radio is in silent standby mode. Includes backlighting, digital clock with day/month/year display plus two daily alarms with snooze plus belt clip and stand.
GREAT WEATHER AND EMERGENCY RADIO 2007-02-04
A must have for those in the tornado areas, with it's silent monitoring. Also great for sailing in so calif waters where Santa Ana winds can occur with little specific warning.
I think some of the writers did not fully explore the setup wich appers to allow you to limit the warnings to a specific part of the area covered by the broadcasts.
Several times the radio has awakened after months of standby operation and in the middle of the night announced a flash flood alert for my area. It also has very significant value in providing information after a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Oregon Scientific is a great company. As for the customer who dropped his radio after three years and expected free repair or replacement, that's not the deal today with something this inexpensive.
Highly recommended for what it does but the family should also have a battery operated radio for emergency use. E
Great unit...once set up 2007-01-09
Set up was troublesome. However, once done, the unit has proven very simple to use. It works quite well. Very satisfied.
oregon scientific weather radio wr102 2006-08-28
Product works very well. This is my second Oregon Scientific weather radio.
Problems with durability and manufacturer's customer service 2006-08-02
We sail our boat on the Great Lakes in the summer and have been overwhelmed by the watches, warnings and alerts coming over the WX channels on our typical VHF marine radio. These messages don't necessarily reflect the weather in our area. Therefore we decided to get a portable S.A.M.E. radio for the cockpit. The WR102 was an easy choice several years ago as it was the only unit I found claiming to be weather resistant.
The unit worked well for several seasons and provided what I was looking for: immediate alert of approaching weather for the specific area we were sailing in. (Hint: when on the Great Lakes keep track of the Canadian as well as the Yank broadcasts. The Canadians have given us warning WELL in advance of the U.S. alert!)
Then, one day, I knocked the radio off it's perch in a binnacle cup holder. The unit hit the cockpit sole after a drop of 2.5 feet and was never the same! Battery life of several weeks dropped to several minutes and the battery door would no longer latch.
A call to Oregon Scientific's customer service number resulted in a response that can be best summed-up as, "It's out of warranty, so buy another." Oregon Scientific had no interest in improving the product through examination of the unit and no interest in keeping this customer via exchange, replacement, credit, etc.
So, I'm replacing it with a Midland 74-250C and keeping that unit lashed to the binnacle to prevent another fall to ruin.
Regards,
Gary
