AM/FM Radio is a safety issue

[AZFox]

FWIW I just ordered a new phone and one of its features is called "Satellite SOS". I don't know much about it, other than it exists and requires setup.

Satellite SOS is an emergency feature that allows users to contact emergency services and send text messages via satellite when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi signal. It works in the United States (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) ...​

I think it's a subscription feature that's free for two years before requiring a fee. (Sound familiar?)

 

[Tom Sawyer]

So does everything else. Farming, banking, food processing, tire manufacturing, ammo production...

You would be surprised at the backup power systems in place for some of the market segments on your list. For example, banks cannot suffer outages even in normal conditions, where losses can range in the millions (billions depending on the institution) per minute. Healthcare too - imagine a power outage with a surgical procedure in place. I think you get the idea.

Can't speak for tire production though.

 

[metroshot]

FWIW I just ordered a new phone and one of its features is called "Satellite SOS". I don't know much about it, other than it exists and requires setup.

Satellite SOS is an emergency feature that allows users to contact emergency services and send text messages via satellite when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi signal. It works in the United States (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) ...​

I think it's a subscription feature that's free for two years before requiring a fee. (Sound familiar?)

There's no setup - just an approval by doing a test demo.

It's good for people who might suffer a crash, have cellular network failure or being out in the middle of nowhere and need emergency comms.

I have had it since iPhone 14 and it's never had a subscription as Apple extends the service automatically. Haven't paid a dime since....

Since I fly and there's always a possibility of going down somewhere unexpectedly, both my phone and watch have satellite connectivity with auto notification in the event a crash. Could save a life when I am forced to land in a remote place.

 

[AZFox]

There's no setup - just an approval by doing a test demo.

It's good for people who might suffer a crash, have cellular network failure or being out in the middle of nowhere and need emergency comms.

I have had it since iPhone 14 and it's never had a subscription as Apple extends the service automatically. Haven't paid a dime since....

Apparently it's a YMMV situation.

Restrictions apply. Setup required. Service included at no additional charge for the first two years after activation of devices. Available in the US. Connection and response times vary based on location, site conditions, and other factors. See g.co/pixel/satellitesos for details. Emergency SOS requires location enabled and 4G LTE service or an internet connection.​

Source:
https://store.google.com/intl/en/ideas/articles/pixel-safety-features/

 

[Doctors Do Little]

To best fit with the ‘retro’ styling, I propose that any antennas under consideration for Slate should be the whip style mast on the passenger fender like the good old days. Please- No shark fins or glass mounted cables.

Also, an upside down wire metal coat hanger would be right at home in bad neighborhoods. 👍

I don’t think that would be hard to arrange. I’ve got a bunch of “retro hangers” in my closet!

 

[Luxrage]

I've got a spare manual power-mast setup for my LTD, wouldn't be too hard to retro fit that into the Slate. Just need a spot for the Up/Down toggle switch. I don't miss the days of full-power "up whenever the radio is on" masts and their adventures in the automatic carwash!

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I've got a spare manual power-mast setup for my LTD, wouldn't be too hard to retro fit that into the Slate. Just need a spot for the Up/Down toggle switch. I don't miss the days of full-power "up whenever the radio is on" masts and their adventures in the automatic carwash!

Amen to car wash. I always ended up getting a much shorter staff antenna in place of long whip antenna. Since I never used the antenna, it seemed a largely moot point.

 

[HCGxKaLiBeR]

I never use AM. It's always static. Rarely use FM. Only use it when I forgot my phone.
I get all sorts of alerts from my phone (it is satellite capable too)

Considering the car really can't go too far or too remote. If the car is cheaper without it, I'm all for it. We can always add one back on if you really need one.

I know we can rely on AM for emergencies like a blackout.. I hope the day like that will never come.

 

[E90400K]

You would be surprised at the backup power systems in place for some of the market segments on your list. For example, banks cannot suffer outages even in normal conditions, where losses can range in the millions (billions depending on the institution) per minute. Healthcare too - imagine a power outage with a surgical procedure in place. I think you get the idea.

Can't speak for tire production though.

My point has been missed. I'm not talking about critical power systems. If the power grid stays down (vs. temporarily down) when the shit hits the fan, then society collapses, and it doesn't matter if one's EV still runs, nothing else is operational. In my lifetime, I've never encountered where gasoline wasn't available due to a temporary power grid issue. The commercial/industrial power grid rarely fails (under non-shit-hits-the-fan scenarios). I've worked in several different manufacturing facilities over my career and I never saw it happen where the plant shut down because industrial electricity went offline. I'm sure it happens, but it is rare and of short duration.

BTW, I work for one of the largest power equipment suppliers/manufacturers in the US - think data center critical power and power building construction, so I'm quite familiar with power grid and critical power systems.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

My point has been missed. I'm not talking about critical power systems. If the power grid stays down (vs. temporarily down) society collapses. And in my lifetime, I've never encountered where gasoline wasn't available due to a temporary power grid issue. The commercial/industrial power grid rarely fails. I've worked in several different manufacturing facilities over my career and I never saw it happen where the plant shut down because industrial electricity went offline. I'm sure it happens, but it is rare and of short duration.

BTW, I work for one of the largest power equipment suppliers/manufacturers in the US - think data center critical power and power building construction, so I'm quite familiar with power grid and critical power systems.

So your bug out apocalyptic silo shelter is not that big?

 

[E90400K]

So your bug out apocalyptic silo shelter is not that big?

I'm still working on it. I had to fix the bridge first so I can get the concrete trucks over the river to pour the walls. It then got too cold after the bridge was repaired...

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I'm still working on it. I had to fix the bridge first so I can get the concrete trucks over the river to pour the walls. It then got too cold after the bridge was repaired...

As I understand it, it’s not the size that matters…it’s the location and how you use it!

 

[cadblu]

I've worked in several different manufacturing facilities over my career and I never saw it happen where the plant shut down because industrial electricity went offline. I'm sure it happens, but it is rare and of short duration....BTW, I work for one of the largest power equipment suppliers/manufacturers in the US - think data center critical power and power building construction, so I'm quite familiar with power grid and critical power systems.

Hmm, do you recall when the Northeast power grid managed by NYISO went down in 2003, caused by a "cascading failure" of the power grid due to a surge? Over 50 million people suddenly lost power in northeast US and Canada.

I recall the event quite vividly. I was giving a presentation to senior management to propose building a new $3M cleanroom as part of a facility move / consolidation. Halfway through, the lights went out and so did my PowerPoint. The next thing i said was..." I guess you guys don't like the idea?" Thank heaven my plug was pulled only due to the blackout. And the project was later approved.

 

[E90400K]

Hmm, do you recall when the Northeast power grid managed by NYISO went down in 2003, caused by a "cascading failure" of the power grid due to a surge? Over 50 million people suddenly lost power in northeast US and Canada.

I recall the event quite vividly. I was giving a presentation to senior management to propose building a new $3M cleanroom as part of a facility move / consolidation. Halfway through, the lights went out and so did my PowerPoint. The next thing i said was..." I guess you guys don't like the idea?" Thank heaven my plug was pulled only due to the blackout. And the project was later approved.

Never heard about that outage. Reading the Wiki on it, the last such massive outage was 38 years earlier in 1965. So, I'm still going with such massive grid outages as "rare". Local outages are more common, but again I've never experienced an outage that lasted so long that my car ran out of gas and I could not drive it. The 2003 event seems to have lasted mostly not more than 12 hours ("overnight") for those effected. And some spots within the larger region did not lose power, which I'd imagine one could drive to, to get fuel.

Me personally, I lose residential grid power on occasion and keep 15 gallons of gasoline on hand for the generator. I can drop 10 gallons in one of my ICEV and drive a few hundred miles to get fuel if it is THAT bad and fuel is needed.

Now, there was a significant fuel shortage on the East Coast some years back (2018?) when a major gas pipeline was hacked and shut down. At that time, I was driving 800 miles per week and fueling every 2 - 3 days. I did experience numerous instances where gas stations on my normal route were out of fuel and there were longish lines at stations that did have gas. I was lucky since my car fueled from the right side and those pumps sides were open. IIRC, I waited about 90 seconds for a pump to open up.

Again, the discussion was a SHTF event.

 

[E90400K]

As I understand it, it’s not the size that matters…it’s the location and how you use it!

I'm still working on the front entrance design. Maybe I'll go with a Ford Edsel motif.