Need FM Radio

[JeffVA]

Slate: Develop a basic single speaker radio we can plug into the center dashboard. Thank you

 

[gwp]

Slate: Develop a basic single speaker radio we can plug into the center dashboard. Thank you

I trust you have a phone? iTunes, for example, is free. Why not just Bluetooth to the accessory speakers.

 

[JeffVA]

I trust you have a phone? iTunes, for example, is free. Why not just Bluetooth to the accessory speakers.

Because I'm a Boomer and my cell phone is not part of my body like it probably is for you

 

[gwp]

Because I'm a Boomer and my cell phone is not part of my body like it probably is for you

Gotcha. Although I’m 68, but perhaps more comfortable with tech. My understanding is a phone will be helpful for pretty much everything on this truck. It’ll show important things like charge status and remaining range. Without one, it’s sort of like a gasser missing a fuel gauge. (I also suspect that us old people are not a primary target market.)

 

[Daley]

I find whistling while I drive to be enjoyable enough and actually kind of uplifting. Puts me in a better mood than all those blaring commercials and cackling morning shows.

 

[gwp]

I find whistling while I drive to be enjoyable enough and actually kind of uplifting. Puts me in a better mood than all those blaring commercials and cackling morning shows.

Great point. I note you have a Bronco. Mine is also a 2 door, with a 7mt. I bet I’ll be able to hear myself whistle more easily in the Slate than the Bronco, but I’m not counting on the same ability to rock crawl.

 

[JeffVA]

Gotcha. Although I’m 68, but perhaps more comfortable with tech. My understanding is a phone will be helpful for pretty much everything on this truck. It’ll show important things like charge status and remaining range. Without one, it’s sort of like a gasser missing a fuel gauge. (I also suspect that us old people are not a primary target market.)

Agree. I like getting in my truck and starting it up and having music come out of that magic box on my dashboard. Don't want to sit in my driveway and try to link everything up and wait for the satellites to align before I listen to my Rock and Roll. I also purposely leave my cell phone at home much of the time so no one can reach out and touch me.

I think with this platform everyone can have exactly what they want from a 1000w, 16 speaker "system" to an FM radio with a single speaker that plugs in nicely in the dash.

I'm just trying to do my best to make sure someone makes it.

 

[YDR37]

“Slate access points” come with the vehicle also, which allow for future and even homemade accessory installation.

Radios are obviously very common vehicle accessories. It seems likely that the "Slate access points" will support installation of an aftermarket AM/FM radio, or even a satellite radio, even if those are not officially offered by Slate as accessories.

 

[Anthropod]

I can see making some brackets for a Bluetooth sound bar with Dolby Atmos...ha! Seriously, though, I have seen some that take a DC input and seem to only consume 20- 30 watts. and many consume less. I think we could come up with a great solution.

 

[MavStangVa]

I trust you have a phone? iTunes, for example, is free. Why not just Bluetooth to the accessory speakers.

Speakers are optional.

 

[MavStangVa]

I find whistling while I drive to be enjoyable enough and actually kind of uplifting. Puts me in a better mood than all those blaring commercials and cackling morning shows.

Haven't listened to free radio since I got my first Sirius radio in 2011. Radio was great when it was music instead of chatter and stupidity.

 

[gwp]

Any phone will do. Meant to suggest the app “Tunein Radio”’ not iTunes, and assume it’s on Android too. I use Tunein to listen to Bloomberg’s financial stations on FM each morning, my only use of FM. I don’t use iTunes. I prefer SiriusXM and Amazon music mostly, on a variety of platforms. Btw, Mao is quite dead. Xi may have Job’s soul today, assuming there is such a thing.

 

[GreatLakes]

I trust you have a phone? iTunes, for example, is free. Why not just Bluetooth to the accessory speakers.

The phone probably needs to have a data connection. I still frequently drive thru areas with no cell service. (There are probably 20 FM stations floating thru the air.) Possible the radio in the dash is only 12" from the speaker, why use a BT connection when 16" of inexpensive wire would work well?

A bigger problem will probably be an antenna. Slate could perhaps help out there. And AM might be an issue, rumored to be interference between EV systems and AM.

Oh, I would expect odometer, speedometer, charge and range will be displayed on the small dash display. At least I hope there is a regulation for some of those.

FWIW I vaguely know a GM engineer. About fifteen years ago his project was to improve something (TPMS?), so he needed to add an antenna within the body. It took more than a year of meetings to come to an agreement on the location. Apparently cars were divided up, and different groups took ownership of certain areas. There was a re-organization about five years later, he said that afterwards it only took ~3 months to fight over decisions like this.

 

[MavStangVa]

I use my phone for Phone calls, yeah my adult children think that is weird, texts, photos, email, and a few apps to pay bills since the retailers sites don;t work with windows 7, lol. I have music on USB sticks, and am looking into a CD player that will plug in to the Maverick.

 

[zipn]

I think the best option is for Slate (or Crutchfield) to offer a replacement panel for the center dash piece that has a double-din sized opening. Add some metal brackets behind the dash to secure a standard double-din sized radio.

Also offer blank speaker covers (but not speakers, and not blue-tooth speakers) to allow standard speaker installation on the left and right side of the dash (6" round"?ovals?).

Top it off with pre-wired +12v hot, +12v when running, and a ground wire pigtail and you're ready to put in any basic radio you want. Just need to add an antenna somewhere. Since the body is plastic a wire antenna under the body may work just fine?

If I do wind up getting a Slate (I have a reservation in), I want to use Apple CarPlay and just keep my phone in my pocket. Easy enough to do with double-din radios that have a built-in screen. Add a couple of decent speakers and you're good to go. Won't be audiophile grade but should should good enough...

I like any radio with a real volume knob. Here's a cheap one...

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_110CAR723W/Jensen-CAR723W.html