Champaign NOAA Weather Radio Outage Update (July 3rd)

NOAA Weather Radio station WXJ-76 in Champaign, serving east central Illinois on a frequency of 162.550 MHz, remains out of service. 

July 3rd Update:  We have identified a new tower location, and are working with NOAA to finalize lease arrangements. Once a lease agreement is in place, we will install the transmitter and antenna, and begin system testing to ensure the associated signal is performing at an optimal level. In the meantime, warning information for Champaign and Piatt Counties is temporarily being broadcast on the Springfield NOAA Weather Radio station (WXJ-75, 162.400 MHz) in order to facilitate distribution over the Emergency Alert System. 

Several nearby NOAA Weather Radio transmitters also serve portions of the WXJ-76 listening area. None of these cover Champaign County (fringes of the county may receive a signal at times, but not reliable enough to use warning alarm tones). Maps are available by county (click images to enlarge), or by looking at the table below the maps (the table lists which counties are covered by these other transmitters). Only the channel number needs to be changed on your radio receiver. Your county number will not change (though if you have multiple counties programmed into your receiver, some may not be available on the new transmitter). 

Champaign County	Coles County	De Witt County
Douglas County	Edgar County	Ford County
Moultrie County	Piatt County	Vermilion County

As always, we HIGHLY recommend that people have multiple ways to receive weather warnings and information.  Forecasts, watches and warnings for Central Illinois can also be found on:

• NWS Lincoln webpage:   http://www.weather.gov/Lincoln
   
• Mobile devices:   mobile.weather.gov
   
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/NWSLincoln
   
• Twitter:   https://twitter.com/NWSLincolnIL
   
• AlertSense: A service provided by Champaign County can relay emergency alerts and weather warnings via text message to cell phones or email to any email address. These alerts are provided free of charge, however standard text messaging rates and other charges may apply. To sign-up, go to: http://www.champaigncountyema.org/
   
• Smart Phones:    Most smart phone users receive Tornado Warnings and Flash Flood Warnings from the National Weather Service through the Wireless Emergency Alerts technology provided by nearly all cell phone providers. This feature is enabled on most cellular devices, with no setup or software to download. The emergency messages are broadcast through cell towers at no cost to the consumer.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact our Meteorologist-in-Charge, Ernie Goetsch at ernest.goetsch@noaa.gov or Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Chris Miller at chris.miller@noaa.gov .

We will provide updates on the status of the Champaign NOAA Weather Radio transmitter through Public Information Statements as well as on our web page and social media, as more information becomes available.