On Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:36:42 -0500, D. Stussy wrote:

"Bill Horne" wrote in message
news:1320808866.4285.1.camel@Thinkpad... On Sat, 2011-11-05 at 09:48
-0400, ARRL Members Only Web site wrote:
FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will
conduct the first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test on
Wednesday, November 9, at 1:00 p.m. Central. Participating analog and
digital radio, television, cable, satellite, and wireline providers
will broadcast a single, live-code alert, called the Emergency Action
Notification, which will be relayed to the public and stations in their
coverage area. The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability
and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism.

For more information about the EAS test, see:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emer...ationwide-test

The FCC and FEMA are recommending stations run Public Service
Announcements reminding the public that the EAS announcement on
Wednesday, November 9, at 1:00 PM Central is only a test.

Do hams have any repeaters hooked up to this system, or is it limited to
broadcast stations only?
==========
Some do, but usually through weather radios which are not participating
in the test even though they normally carry EAS messages.

Although 47 CFR 97.111(a)(3) could govern legal retransmission of EAS
messages [from broadcast stations], 97.113(a)(5)(c) strongly implies
that a weather radio link is the preferred way to receive them.


One repeater controller manufacturer has a weather radio device:

http://www.catauto.com/wx200.html

Another manufacturer of interface-able weather radios:

http://www.thuneagle.com/

Here are examples of repeaters that have weather radios tied in:

K0NR http://www.k0nr.com/rwitte/repeater.html K4JDR
http://www.carolina440.net/
K6BDE http://k6bde.snarked.org/
WX5OKC http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=3634

See also: http://www.repeater-builder.com/tech...er-radios.html
"Weather Receiver Rebroadcasts and the Legal Questions" Riley
Hollingsworth from the FCC (in 1999) comments, especially:

"You can only use the official NOAA alerts, not alerts from other
sources (i.e. the local TV or broadcast radio station)."

Many NWR stations have no audio links. They are sent text and synthesize
the announcements.

What is a National level emergency? Giant asteroid? Alien invasion?
Martial law?

I was watching Aljazeera on the web and no test; I did hear KFI screw it
up on the radio.