Hi Jeff. I think it was in 2001 when they started with
the human voice, 2 actually, supposedly belonging to 2
anonymous NOAA employees, 1 male, 1 female. I remember
when I started hearing them, I would hear all the
little flaws where phonemes changed, now I don't
really notice them. Well they still use the male
synthesized voice that they started using in late 97
or early 98, even though they had been saying they
were fazing that out, so on most of the transmitters I
pick up here, which is quite a lot, I used to avidly
dx them, there is a mixture of all 3 voices involved
on any given day. They say that the only time you'll
hear a real live human on the air is when systems
break down, but I don't think that's exactly truthful,
as when severe weather threatens, I'll often hear a
human on the Saint Joseph Missouri transmitter, where
I generally get my weather. The human will be giving a
current synopsis of what's going on with the
atmosphere, what storms are moving where, then you'll
hear the mechanicals again giving warnings and listing
counties in Kansas and Missouri affected. I don't know
if they'll ever phaze out the old voice or not, but I
have found over the years, what ever voice is used, I
can still use sound quality, speed, and with these new
voices, dialect clues to discriminate between
transmitters on the same frequency when ducting is
running strong. A few days ago, I was able to pick out
the Blue Rapids Kansas, Sedalia Missouri, and Cameron
Missouri transmitters all on 162.425 just by moving my
indoor twin lead J-pole around at the base. Back in
97, before they went synthesized, I picked up
transmitters as far away as Alabama(near the Florida
border), and Nashville Tennessee, and as far west as
Goodland and Dodge City Kansas. North to Sioux Falls
South Dakota, with a pair of stacked 5 element yagis
for 2 meters. Got a tape full of recordings I made of
all the stations I heard during that period.
--- Jeff Kenyon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi everyone.  I have noticed something in when
> listening to weather reports
> from around the country.  Here in Michigan and in a
> lot of other places the
> synthesizer is in use with the computer voice that I
> think is from AT&T, but
> in Canada and when I have heard stuff from Alaska it
> uses an actual person's
> voice.  Does anyone know if the synthesizer will be
> phased out in favor of
> this voice?





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