Amber Alerts

http://www.radioamber.net/

If you're running SAM you can automate it, otherwise you download a file as each warning comes out.

I got it working using wget and a batch file feeding into Zara radio,sweet! Regards,Lee

You're welcome!

by MRAM 1500 kHz
Glad you posted about the Amber Alert site.

I'm using WGET to download the US alert once per hour.

Here's my question: I see there is an active alert but the mp3 I get is the AmberAlert Promo ID. How long does the active alert mp3 remain online? Do they switch back to the Promo ID when there is no active alert?

I used the URL ( http://amberalerts.loudcity.net/amberus.mp3) found in the PAL script for downloading the amberus.mp3 file using WGET.

WGET works great! Downloads on schedule everytime. I suppose I could run the URL as a stream in ZaraRadio but I'd have to rely on the "Silence Detector" since the file length probably varies.

I assume its the promo unless there is an active NATIONAL alert. I was doing some research into how the system works and I found out it can be a localized alert limited to a certain area. Not to diminish what they do but their source seems flawed in that regard. I always try to go right to the source instead of relying on 3rd parties so I am more inclined to rely upon the ALL HAZARDS (formerly weather) Alert system that is delivered almost anywhere by vhf fm. I just need to figure out how to integrate it into the automation short of buying an EAS/SAME decoder. It will play the alert in real time as delivered. I will try a relay scheme to let it override the console when alerted. I wish the NWS would supply fresh mp3's for the taking,it would make automation a snap!
Speaking of WGET,I have an occasional problem with it hanging during the initial connection,it wont time out or reset,have to use ctrl-alt-del and end task(windolap).
I even upgraded to the latest version,better,but still hangs once in a while.No good for automation 🙁 Regards,Lee

by MRAM 1500 kHz
Off the topic but since you mentioned it, NWS for the Akron, Cleveland Ohio area has the mp3 files for that area. I would think they do the same for other areas.

Here is the WGET batch file I use to download the local forecast:

===============================================

echo off

REM Change this next line to match your content
REM directory.

cd C:NOAA

REM For sanity, lets remove any files that
REM already exist in the directory.

del *.mp3

REM Now lets use wget to get the latest file.

wget http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cle/mp3/CLESAFNW4.mp3

REM Go back to where we started.

cd c:

================================================

From that, I would gather changing "/cle/mp3/CLESAFNW4.mp3" to your local NWS site would do the trick.

P.S. - this should get you there.

Geeze,I didnt know those exsisted! And I am in Skywarn and on the Cleveland NOAA site every day! Mine is CLEAFNW5,so we are very close to each other,too. Actually, I used 3 of them scheduled one second apart,works well. Its much better than Pirateweather! I do the same thing with American Sunrise, FSN Headline News and Amber Alert. I still want the all hazards feed from the NOAA radio to give me alerts,since its not available on their website. Regards,Lee

by MRAM 1500 kHz
Well, I'm glad I could help. Didn't notice you lived in the neighborhood.

Sometime, tune to 1650 kHz AM if you are driving through. That's where our Cuyahoga Falls Advisory Radio station operates. It's only 2.5 watts with a range of about 8 mile radus. So far, I'm doing most of the voice. We were running NOAA initially but it got boring so now I read the weather copy.

I setup the AmberAlert download for the City station but we do have an EAS/SAME receiver. I have to find out if we need to program the code into it for the AmberAlerts. We're thinking a regional alert would be better suited to local radio as opposed to a national alert from the internet.

Let me know if you ever get an active alert mp3 from the Amber website as all I've heard so far is the promo.

I love how I see you guys using wget since my initial post. It's a tool I use daily even at work and I'm glad to see it's catching on. =)

It's a very versatile utility to have.

Lee - your wget crash could be the file name on the website is either changed for the last version retrieve *or* it's on a Unix server and some bonehead on their end forgot about case sensitivity. Believe me, it happens.

I feel the big problem with the internet Amber Alerts is they are not specific to an area. The way all hazards are set up,including amber alerts,is to allow local use of the system. I dont see the relevance of getting an alert from California or every alert from every locality,I would be sending continuous alerts! Thats why the pipeline is set up the way it is. Our locality would feed alerts to NWS Cleveland who would put it out in our area and the only outlet is the All Hazards Radio system. How it gets to the internet,I'm not sure,if at all.
To date,I have heard no Amber Alerts from the internet feed,a good thing to be sure.
We have several TIS systems up in the area,one I put on the air in the early 90's on 1480 at Presque Isle State Park. It runs only in summer during the good weather. NWS with park info and events.
If you are ever in Erie,please stop in for a tour of my humble station! Regards,Lee,N3APP

by MRAM 1500 kHz
I discussed the internet National Alerts with our Department Head and decided that unless there is an excessive number of alerts, it would be OK for now on our City Advisory Radio system.

I downloaded software from Thunder Eagle for our EAS/SAME decoder so we'll be able to add the proper codes for regional Amber Alerts. The receiver/decoder over-rides our regular programming so at that point I'll only run an Amber Alert promo and let the receiver/decoder air the All Hazards Amber Alert.

Thanks for the invite to visit your station and I offer the same if you're driving through our area.

Well,thats the funny part. If I close it and re-run it,it works every time proving the source was ok. It seems to hang on "resolving host" but never gets to the i.p. display part,like it was stopped. The control-c wont close the window,it has crashed! Only an end task bullet will kill it! It always runs fine when run manually as well. The download that runs once a day always works,the more frequent they are,the more they fail. Maybe a problem with scheduler? Any ideas? Regards,Lee

Possibly the scheduler though I've not seen that problem at all.

It almost sounds like a DNS timeout that the utility has no crash handler for. I'll look into it and post on their developers list.

Hey,it works! Got one this evening from Utah/California! The readers accent almost needed a translator,luckily I understand redneck! LOL
So it does work for national alerts! Cool!
Regards,Lee