AM/FM Radio is a safety issue

[Doctors Do Little]

But no one here talking about a man cave system, just their Slate. Of course the right system just move it with you. Oh wait, that could be my phone or tablet. Grrrr

Right…tech turns over every 3 years for phones and tablets…so keep your windup solar am/fm emergency radio on a shelf in the barn and game on.

 

[YDR37]

Here in Seattle, the Mariners are on 710 AM.

You're right -- but AM sports stations (and other AM stations) are now commonly simulcast on HD FM subchannels. For example, KIRO 710 AM in Seattle is also available on the FM band, on the HD2 subchannel of KIRO-FM 97.3.

So if you installed a modern HD FM radio in a Slate, you would be able to listen to Mariners games even without AM. Furthermore, HD FM has better sound quality than traditional AM, and would be much less affected by interference from the Slate's motors.

If you can get Mariners games on HD FM, and they sound better, then why does KIRO still broadcast on 710 AM? Well, most cars on the road today don't have HD FM -- they only have traditional analog FM, which can't pick up HD subchannels. Most new cars probably do have HD FM, but most cars on the road aren't new.

 

[YDR37]

If you can get Mariners games on HD FM, and they sound better, then why does KIRO still broadcast on 710 AM? Well, most cars on the road today don't have HD FM -- they only have traditional analog FM, which can't pick up HD subchannels. Most new cars probably do have HD FM, but most cars on the road aren't new.

Another reason for keeping AM: KIRO's traditional analog AM broadcast probably reaches a much wider area than KIRO-FM's digital FM broadcast. Within the Seattle metro area, HD FM would likely sound better than AM -- but if you start driving away from the city, you could eventually lose the HD FM signal, while the AM signal would still come in strong.

 

[JoeBlow-Kokomo]

Another reason for keeping AM: KIRO's traditional analog AM broadcast probably reaches a much wider area than KIRO-FM's digital FM broadcast. Within the Seattle metro area, HD FM would likely sound better than AM -- but if you start driving away from the city, you could eventually lose the HD FM signal, while the AM signal would still come in strong.

is that the nature of the signal or do they just have more powerful AM transmitters? I "think" they were allowed to be bigger back in "the day". My city, Fort Wayne, Indiana had an AM station (WOWO) that could be heard over 1/2 the country at night (signal better) when I was growing up. We'd listen to our local hockey team, the Komets in Florida when there for Christas vacation or spring break. They advertized 50,000 watts. I dont' think you can be that big anymore but could sure be wrong.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

is that the nature of the signal or do they just have more powerful AM transmitters?

It's a characteristic of the frequency band, nighttime atmospheric conditions and sometimes solar flares.

 

[KevinRS]

I was just seeing today that in the past 10 years, 7% of AM stations, and a lower % of FM have gone off the air.
Multiple broadcasters keep declaring bankruptcy, because ad revenue is shrinking.
Most younger listeners and some older go with podcasts and streaming, so advertisers don't want to pay as much for a shrinking audience.

Like I have said before, my local really strong station, that I could stay on up to 60+ miles away before mountains got in the way, switched to a different frequency, apparently with lower power, probably due to these reasons. The new frequency has static on it everywhere I've been. The original frequency is all static now. Another station has started up, in the same format, but it is no stronger, and only has a DJ 4 hours a day on weekdays, I'm not even driving when he is on. I've heard nothing of weather or news on that new station. I think all the rest of the "local" stations have gone to being just repeaters of more distant stations.

 

[CorvusCorvax]

Getting AM stations over the internet via cell service seems to be a reasonable alternative. I have never needed AM radio for safety issues, since the screech of the Emergency Alert System ALSO works over FM. Sure rightwing talk radio people need AM to get their daily dose of crappola, but you can get that over the internet, too. My Slate will have a tablet holder, and if I need the latest bunch of drivel from Infowars, surely I can get it via cellular service.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Getting AM stations over the internet via cell service seems to be a reasonable alternative. I have never needed AM radio for safety issues, since the screech of the Emergency Alert System ALSO works over FM. Sure rightwing talk radio people need AM to get their daily dose of crappola, but you can get that over the internet, too. My Slate will have a tablet holder, and if I need the latest bunch of drivel from Infowars, surely I can get it via cellular service.

Hey hey hey. I resemble that characterization. AM nutjobs tend to pay taxes, so I endorse their choices of listening engagement - baseball, sky is falling, or reruns of car talk.

(I’m pretty sure all of the above are available via apps on the tele - I haven’t listened to AM in 35 years so I’m speculating.)

 

[YDR37]

Update: the "AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act" currently remains stalled in Congress, despite bipartisan support:

... the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act sits in congressional limbo, despite commanding more than 375 co-sponsors across both chambers. The bill, which would require the Department of Transportation to mandate AM radio as standard safety equipment in all new passenger vehicles, has been awaiting a floor vote in both houses.

However, the President has the clout to get Congress moving, and he has just recommitted to getting the Act passed:

President Donald Trump admitted that the fight to keep AM radio in vehicles had slipped off his radar — but recommitted to acting on the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act during an interview last week.

The pledge came during a call-in to Red Apple Media’s 77WABC in New York City, where host Sid Rosenberg raised the dashboard fight near the end of an extended conversation. “I got to stop that,” Trump said when Rosenberg mentioned the automotive industry’s move to pull AM from new vehicles. “Why are they doing that? Why do they want to take AM radio? It’s so ridiculous. Why?” The President then offered that he personally intervened to prevent AM’s removal during his first term.

...Tuesday’s call was not Trump’s first public endorsement of the cause. At the 2024 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, he pledged to protect AM radio access in vehicles, telling attendees he would safeguard the medium and defend “pro-God content.”

So there is a good chance that Slate will be legally required to include AM/FM radios in their vehicles, and to install shielding to prevent AM interference from the motors (technically, the Act only requires AM radios, but I'm sure they would include FM as well). This would also affect companies like Tesla and Rivian, which still provide FM radios but not AM.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

the Big Antenna lobby is out of control

 

[EVfun]

I'm not sure why having a radio is really a safety issue, being a one way communication device. Still, I would be happy to have a basic AM/FM radio and 1 or 2 speakers in the dash. In both cars my wife and I have we mostly just listen to FM stations with music of our choice, and too many ads.

 

[YDR37]

I'm not sure why having a radio is really a safety issue, being a one way communication device.

The argument is that AM radio is the most reliable way to get notifications via the Emergency Alert System. In many rural areas, you can get an AM radio signal, but there is no FM radio, cell service, or Internet.

Also, radio is less likely to be affected by power outages than the cell network or Internet. If a radio station has a generator at the studio and another generator at the transmission tower, it can stay on the air even if the power goes down. It's much harder to keep the cell network and the Internet working if the power goes down, because there are a lot more powered components.

In theory, satellite radio (SiriusXM) has even broader coverage than AM, and is even less likely to be affected by power outages. But there are far more AM radios out there than active satellite radios.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

The argument is that AM radio is the most reliable way to get notifications via the Emergency Alert System. In many rural areas, you can get an AM radio signal, but there is no FM radio, cell service, or Internet.

Also, radio is less likely to be affected by power outages than the cell network or Internet. If a radio station has a generator at the studio and another generator at the transmission tower, it can stay on the air even if the power goes down. It's much harder to keep the cell network and the Internet working if the power goes down, because there are a lot more powered components.

In theory, satellite radio (SiriusXM) has even broader coverage than AM, and is even less likely to be affected by power outages. But there are far more AM radios out there than active satellite radios.

I guess if the power outage is sufficiently broad, you aren't driving your Slate very far away anyway (solar solutions/backup generators notwithstanding)?

 

[cadblu]

To quote Protron:

I WANT MY AM/FM RADIO AND THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT!

 

[Doctors Do Little]

To quote Protron:

I WANT MY AM/FM RADIO AND THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT!

Solar powered wind up am/fm with a PS1 outlet for speakers? That was part of my Y2K kit.