By Zachary Perry, MarineFuel.com News
November 18, 2009
The Vector Stormtracker Elite is a weather alert radio with a built-in 5″ TV, alarm clock, cellphone charger, lantern, and flashlight. It can be powered with AC or DC cords, batteries, or a hand-crank dynamo. The Vector WC300DSV is a useful product for boaters, campers, and residents of areas affected by severe weather.
RADIO RECEIVER: The Stormtracker Elite’s digital weather radio tunes all seven NOAA/NWS VHF channels, alongside the regular AM and FM bands. Although I only receive one or no weather radio stations on less sophisticated receivers, this unit picks up two clearly (sometimes three). Weather reception is excellent, FM is good, and AM mediocre.
SPEAKER: The radio and TV use a round, metal-covered speaker on the side of the unit. The speaker produces high quality, clear sound. With good reception, the radio can be turned to maximum volume without any distortion. There is also an earphone jack.
WEATHER ALERT: The Vector Stormtracker Elite can be set to sound an alarm when an official weather or other emergency alert is issued. Users may program it to cover one or more counties. Marine weather zones can also be specified, which is useful for boaters and island residents. The receiver’s specific area alert reception is a feature only found on fairly high-end radios.
TELEVISION: The unit’s B&W UHF/VHF analog television can receive broadcasts from Canada, U.S. LPTV stations, and cable/satellite services. It has a clear, sharp picture and good audio quality. The nine-section telescoping radio/TV antenna is sturdy and almost 32″ long.
ALARM CLOCK: The Vector WC300DSV has a digital clock and alarm. It is a bit difficult to set, but has a loud alarm that should be able to wake most people up. Unlike many portable alarm clocks, the unit features a “Snooze” button. It also shows the current date.
ACCESSORIES: The Vector Stormtracker Elite comes with a DC car power cord (also works in some boats and RVs), AC adapter, five cellphone charging adapters, and adjustable carrying strap. Its well-written instructions thoroughly cover almost every aspect of the unit. They are especially helpful for setting up the weather alerts and clock.
PARTS: There is a replaceable two amp fuse on the back of the unit. The 12V DC car/boat adapter also has a separate fuse. The 1/8″ antenna jack accepts various adapters for connection with standard TV/radio antennas, digital converters, VCRs, and other RF devices.
POWER: The Vector Stormtracker Elite’s TV can only be powered using the AC/DC adapters or 9 “C” batteries, while the other functions may also be powered with the dynamo crank. The dynamo is only really useful for powering the FM radio and lights. When power runs low, the digital display goes blank but the lights and AM/FM radio keep working.
LIGHTS: The WC300DSV also has a flashlight on the front and a lantern on the back, which can be used independently or simultaneously with the other functions. They are rather bright and have LED bulbs; LEDs last much longer and consume less electricity than other types.
SIMILAR MODELS: The original Vector Stormtracker is more ruggedly designed but offers fewer features. The larger Songwave SW-3600 has more functions and an adjustable lantern, but its dynamo and weather radio don’t work as well.
TIPS: Here are a couple tips on using the Vector Stormtracker Elite which weren’t covered in the manual…
1. When connecting the TV to a converter box or similar device, you may hear a lot of buzzing in the audio. If so, turn up the other device’s volume level, then readjust the TV volume.
2. The alarm clock’s loudness can be set using the radio/TV volume knob. Be careful not to turn it too low if the radio or TV is used before the time when the alarm is set to go off.
Overall, the Vector Stormtracker Elite’s best functions are its weather alert radio, alarm clock, FM radio, and lights. The dynamo crank can be useful, but should not be relied upon to power the weather radio; bring batteries or an adapter if this is important. The Stormtracker Elite’s most valuable feature is its excellent weather band reception, which surpasses that of many such receivers.