I just found this and I know it is a thing many American's feel passonate about as a few of you have commented about having an AM Radio in Cars so I hope this is of interest. 
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
67 CJ5
Congress is about to MANDATE AM Radios in Cars
I just found this and I know it is a thing many American's feel passonate about as a few of you have commented about having an AM Radio in Cars so I hope this is of interest.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
I know you did not ask, but I am going to give my opinion on this. Yes, my opinion is probably similar to everyone else's in that, it is mine, no one else has to like it, and it might be a bit smelly, depending on your position on the subject.
Don't get me wrong, I like AM radio. I use it fairly often, and have it in every vehicle (including my EV) that has radio.
I think this proposed regulation is stupid and over reaching. But then, I think that about most regulation or required mandates. Sure, modern society has to have some regulation, I don't have to like that for it to be fact, and chaos sucks. So, regulation is not always bad. But, bills like this mandate what has historically been essentially a buyer funded entertainment option that many wanted but no one had to have.
For years, decades even, in a motor vehicle a radio of any kind was an option the buyer had to pay extra for (if available at all). Then radios became somewhat standard equipment (not required, but included in most vehicles), typically still as a part of main stream trim/level packages. You could still buy based models sans radio, but if you wanted "that" trim/level, it came with a radio. Or, if the trim you wanted included a radio, you could often pay extra and buy the "radio delete". And that was a double whammy that most people missed, you paid extra to get the trim/level package you wanted, and then had to pay even more to NOT include the radio that was part of that package. This went on until radio started being included at almost every level, and then you could still, sometimes, pay for the "radio delete".
When "infotainment" systems became the standard, options of no radio or radio delete generally went away. As the infotainment system became more and more integral to vehicle operations it became difficult to even put in an optional radio / stereo when you wanted one.
So, originally it was an option few had, then it became an pretty common option you had to pay extra for, then it became "included" at no extra cost and you had to pay extra to not have it, and finally you did not have an option of removing or adding it, it just was, want it or not. This was not really an issue, and very few people cared about AM radio being in, or not in, cars until some vendors (mostly EV or Plug-in-Hybrid makers) started NOT including them as even an option. And if you did not like it, you could vote with your cash, buy a different model / make, one that did include an AM radio, if that was important enough to you. When I bought my EV I did consider the fact this one had an AM radio, while some different models did not. This was not an important point to me, but one I did consider, and went into my choice.
All of a sudden this optional entertainment equipment is something Congress needs to make a requirement, and a law, in case of the need for emergency information distribution. What is next, requiring, for emergency contact reasons only but still a legal mandate, that each citizen, at their own expense, purchase and keep in their possession at all times a cell phone? I mean, just for your own good in emergencies you know...
T!
Don't get me wrong, I like AM radio. I use it fairly often, and have it in every vehicle (including my EV) that has radio.
I think this proposed regulation is stupid and over reaching. But then, I think that about most regulation or required mandates. Sure, modern society has to have some regulation, I don't have to like that for it to be fact, and chaos sucks. So, regulation is not always bad. But, bills like this mandate what has historically been essentially a buyer funded entertainment option that many wanted but no one had to have.
For years, decades even, in a motor vehicle a radio of any kind was an option the buyer had to pay extra for (if available at all). Then radios became somewhat standard equipment (not required, but included in most vehicles), typically still as a part of main stream trim/level packages. You could still buy based models sans radio, but if you wanted "that" trim/level, it came with a radio. Or, if the trim you wanted included a radio, you could often pay extra and buy the "radio delete". And that was a double whammy that most people missed, you paid extra to get the trim/level package you wanted, and then had to pay even more to NOT include the radio that was part of that package. This went on until radio started being included at almost every level, and then you could still, sometimes, pay for the "radio delete".
When "infotainment" systems became the standard, options of no radio or radio delete generally went away. As the infotainment system became more and more integral to vehicle operations it became difficult to even put in an optional radio / stereo when you wanted one.
So, originally it was an option few had, then it became an pretty common option you had to pay extra for, then it became "included" at no extra cost and you had to pay extra to not have it, and finally you did not have an option of removing or adding it, it just was, want it or not. This was not really an issue, and very few people cared about AM radio being in, or not in, cars until some vendors (mostly EV or Plug-in-Hybrid makers) started NOT including them as even an option. And if you did not like it, you could vote with your cash, buy a different model / make, one that did include an AM radio, if that was important enough to you. When I bought my EV I did consider the fact this one had an AM radio, while some different models did not. This was not an important point to me, but one I did consider, and went into my choice.
All of a sudden this optional entertainment equipment is something Congress needs to make a requirement, and a law, in case of the need for emergency information distribution. What is next, requiring, for emergency contact reasons only but still a legal mandate, that each citizen, at their own expense, purchase and keep in their possession at all times a cell phone? I mean, just for your own good in emergencies you know...
T!
Your list of Hypothetical complaints are unworkable,
You complain that it doesn't have a Radio,
You complain that you have to pay extra for the Radio,
You complain that it does comes with a Radio,
You complain that you have to pay for the Delete Option,
You complain that you have to pay to remove the Radio,
You complain that you have to get a Radio Fitted,
You complain that the Radio an integral part of the Vehicle,
Faced with your list of complaints you have 3 options
1) Build your Own Car,
2) Give Up Driving,
3) Buy a Horse and Cart,
I notice only too well of the pitfalls of FM Only Radio's in Vehicles, because within 5 or 10 miles out of the city My Vehicle Radio starts to break up and slowly cuts out so I press another button and hopefully it finds another station and then it cuts out again OR as my journey progresses another Station takes over the same frequency and then it will cut out or another Station blasting Rap or Indian music decideds to Use My Ears as Dust Bins / Garbage Cans Which normally ends with me Cussing and Ranting as I turn the thing Off and continue my 150+ mile 3 or 4 hour journey in Silence because I can't pull over on a major highway just to tune the Radio which is illegal.
Throughout the 70's and 80's I remember traveling for 8 hours a day or more and still listen to the same Radio Station all Day, FM is fine if you are standing still and stay within 10 miles of the repeater and DAB Radios are
because they cut out even standing still in the House,I have never had any of these problems using an AM Radio and LW is even better because LW can travel from Coast to Coast, Many of the things we had years ago are still better than what we have today, Some modern Radio's are better but they need to have LW,MW and if possible SW.
The US is a huge place and even I know that and AM/MW and LW etc needs to be the Standard
Well the thing is, with AM radio you can pull in stations at night from hundreds of miles away. FM, only local. So if the cell networks go down and your connected car isn't connecting anymore then you could always get info via AM radio. Even if it's from stations far away at least you can get info of some kind. If that's not critical for some people, then not my problem. Internet and cell networks are only as good as the grid is intact,locally, regionally and as long as you pay your bill. AM radio is free to listen and always will be. I'm not saying it's almighty and perfect but it's tried and true. We are too conditioned (spoiled) these days by our phones and constant connectivity.
I put it into the category of "needs to be passed, but shouldn't be necessary."
I'm just amazed that anyone would pay extra to not have a radio.
When all you have to do is not turn it on, or in the case of poorly-trained offspring, pull the fuse or cut a wire.
Either of those two options are free.
When all you have to do is not turn it on, or in the case of poorly-trained offspring, pull the fuse or cut a wire.
Either of those two options are free.
After an EMP all off your Internet and satelite based comms will be toast. But with AM radio at night you can receive E-layer skip from distant stations 1000 miles or more away. Also ground wave reception from high power AM stations. Old school.
KFYR radio has informative video on YouTube which gives a layman's explanation.
KFYR radio has informative video on YouTube which gives a layman's explanation.
I think this is good because many AM stations have local news and weather. MN's local one, WCCO AM, is the one I listen to when there is severe weather. At least you'd know if there was a tornado coming. I only got a phone alert for the last one, didn't hear any sirens.
sounds like a response to this thread from 2023 talking about the trend of car companies dropping AM radios. I am of the mind “let the consumer decide, not Congress“.
I generally listen to conservative talk radio on AM. I would prefer to have it, but am not a fan of Congress getting involved in the free market.
I generally listen to conservative talk radio on AM. I would prefer to have it, but am not a fan of Congress getting involved in the free market.
Its my own fault,but I'm tech challenged,no fault of anyone but me.
Bought probably my last vehicle a few years ago considering my age and health.
Radio kicks a##,I can blast AC/DC..but can't figure out the touch screen menu..like my old VCR,I can't even set the time..let alone do the phone,GPS,Pandora,etc.
Actually,that's a prep fail not learning all this tech,Mea Culpa.
I 1/2assed checked into a old style radio,went to 3 shops on my lunch break....just a old style supertuner with 5X9 Krackos on the back deck like my 78 Trans Am..no go.
Bought probably my last vehicle a few years ago considering my age and health.
Radio kicks a##,I can blast AC/DC..but can't figure out the touch screen menu..like my old VCR,I can't even set the time..let alone do the phone,GPS,Pandora,etc.
Actually,that's a prep fail not learning all this tech,Mea Culpa.
I 1/2assed checked into a old style radio,went to 3 shops on my lunch break....just a old style supertuner with 5X9 Krackos on the back deck like my 78 Trans Am..no go.
I have a WW2 Communications receiver that's EMP/CME proof and can receive the world. Wont be doing any travelling WTSHTF as it will be no point, that's why we prep.
Why not take it a step further and make the radio include the NOAA weather channels? It's supposed to be the official government broadcast apparatus for emergencies.
From Grok:
From Grok:
- NWR broadcasts continuous weather information, including warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information 24/7, directly from National Weather Service (NWS) offices. During a major disaster, it interrupts regular programming to provide real-time updates, alerts, and post-event information for various hazards.
- It is designated under a 1975 White House policy as the sole government-operated radio system for direct warnings to the public, including for natural disasters and nuclear attack scenarios.
- NWR supports the EAS, which allows federal, state, and local officials to broadcast warnings for life-threatening events, such as terrorist attacks or technological hazards.
- Its infrastructure is robust, with over 1,000 transmitters covering nearly 90% of the U.S. population, and many stations are equipped with backup power to operate during outages
If they put the NOAA Channels on SW, AM or LW they could of covered the whole of the US using 20 to 50 Transmitters and saved billions of Dollars in the proccess,
It's the same over here and they are trying to close the ( 3 ) remaining MW/LW Towers down, yet they are too stupid to realize how much money they could save, Because to cover what the 3 MM/LW Towers can do they have had to build 215+ FM Towers and the signal drops out more than ever and everyone of those 215+ Towers needs backup Generators and Fuel to last a week or two at a time. It's total BS.
Thank GOD!
I was just thinking, when will Congress tackle the important things.... national debt, Iran with Nuclear capability, global warming, wildfires, or crumbling infrastructure.
No, AM radios in the car.
Seriously, though- Ever notice that the most government-regulated & controlled things the government touches like- Housing, health care, prescription drugs, higher education, and automobiles, become the least affordable things?
I was just thinking, when will Congress tackle the important things.... national debt, Iran with Nuclear capability, global warming, wildfires, or crumbling infrastructure.
No, AM radios in the car.
Seriously, though- Ever notice that the most government-regulated & controlled things the government touches like- Housing, health care, prescription drugs, higher education, and automobiles, become the least affordable things?
My car's both have AM radio
Absolutely nothing that needs a congressional mandate to have them.
Absolutely nothing that needs a congressional mandate to have them.
I imagine with the tech packages in modern cars and the preferences of modern drivers AM will be a feature never used even in the case of emergency. I cannot remember the last time I listened to the radio while driving at all. And one of my cars, a 66', only has AM radio.
I don't know about all this fal-de-rall, AM, FM, it's either horrible music, listening to Dave Ramsey repeat his financial advice for the 10,000th time, or right wing talk radio. It can all go away for all I care.
I'll stick to my 8-track.
I'll stick to my 8-track.
Satellite Sirius radio, is all that I listen to now.
But not sure if any can still get this now or remember "Border Blaster Radio: XERA Del Rio Texas" (actually was just over the Mexican Border, blasting out 150,000 Watts, to cover about 1/3 of the USA at night with religious themes, illegal male virility advertising and Wolfman Jack. I can remember driving from S. Calif. to Houston Texas when I as in Med School, and mostly driving at night, and listening to this God forsaken hill billy music from "XERA". It was the only radio staton whch came in all of the way from Los Angeles to Houston, every night without fail....No air conditioning in the cars, but "swamp coolers" in the window, and you got a motel room to sleep during the heat of the day....Drove from 6 PM to about 10 AM.
But not sure if any can still get this now or remember "Border Blaster Radio: XERA Del Rio Texas" (actually was just over the Mexican Border, blasting out 150,000 Watts, to cover about 1/3 of the USA at night with religious themes, illegal male virility advertising and Wolfman Jack. I can remember driving from S. Calif. to Houston Texas when I as in Med School, and mostly driving at night, and listening to this God forsaken hill billy music from "XERA". It was the only radio staton whch came in all of the way from Los Angeles to Houston, every night without fail....No air conditioning in the cars, but "swamp coolers" in the window, and you got a motel room to sleep during the heat of the day....Drove from 6 PM to about 10 AM.
Small town AM radio stations often still have a live person on duty to report local events. I was offered a job doing the late night shift at our local station a few years ago. Turned it down, too much coffee makes me start breaking things.
If the world ends, FM stations mostly won't mention the event. They will still be playing canned programming until the last drop of electricity is used up.
Doing away with AM probably has more to do with the need to force everyone into paying a monthly subscription, just like cable tv. (Remember when cable tv was supposed to provide entertainment without ads?) Now the cheapest TV package here is $140 per month. OTA tv can only reliably get 2 or 3 channels, PBS and a couple of 24 hr. "shopping" channels.
I'm not paying $140 a month to watch CNN lie to me. I can find a neighbor who will trade BS for a Coke or a beer most any time.
If the world ends, FM stations mostly won't mention the event. They will still be playing canned programming until the last drop of electricity is used up.
Doing away with AM probably has more to do with the need to force everyone into paying a monthly subscription, just like cable tv. (Remember when cable tv was supposed to provide entertainment without ads?) Now the cheapest TV package here is $140 per month. OTA tv can only reliably get 2 or 3 channels, PBS and a couple of 24 hr. "shopping" channels.
I'm not paying $140 a month to watch CNN lie to me. I can find a neighbor who will trade BS for a Coke or a beer most any time.
The cost to "add" Am radio is tiny - a rounding error.
Having access to AM BCB receivers is - IMO - very important.
YMMV
Having access to AM BCB receivers is - IMO - very important.
YMMV
You can find the Art Bell archives for Somewhere In Time and Dreamland on the Internet at www.archive.org and stream them free with no ads.
I listen to him on the net at Tunein Radio. Type in "the ultimate Art Bell" and yon hear him free of charge with a short occasional ad and bumper music.
TuneIn | Free Internet Radio | Live News, Sports, Music, Audiobooks, and Podcasts
Listen to free internet radio, news, sports, music, audiobooks, and podcasts. Stream live CNN, FOX News Radio, and MSNBC. Plus 100,000 AM/FM radio stations featuring music, news, and local sports talk.
tunein.com
As has already been stated, AM stations can have ranges of hundreds of miles. When I was a kid vacationing in N. Wisconsin, I could pick up Chicago AM stations (300-400 miles away) at night with my Walkman back in the 80s, thanks to skip. That's why AM is an essential part of the IPAWS infrastructure and needs to be preserved.
IMHO, people are getting way too fixated on EMP and the common assumption that 'everything will be fried'. There are other disasters that can take down broadcast infrastructure, and second, everything won't necessarily be fried. There are other EMP experts I'll defer to here, but I'm noticing in updated planning docs that the expectation is that with lower field areas, devices won't be permanently damged/destroyed, but they will need to be power cycled. Granted, much of that guidance focuses on SREMP/TREE effects, but I still wouldn't count on a Hollywood-style "no more electronics" after HANE/HEMP.
EDIT:
I just realized I didn't define acronyms that some might not be familiar with, and it drives me nuts when I read federal guidance docs and they do the same thing, so...
HANE = High-Altitude Nuclear Explosion
HEMP = High-Altitude EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse)
SREMP = Short-Range EMP (From a nearby detonation)
TREE = Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics
IPAWS = Integrated Public Alerting and Warning System
IMHO, people are getting way too fixated on EMP and the common assumption that 'everything will be fried'. There are other disasters that can take down broadcast infrastructure, and second, everything won't necessarily be fried. There are other EMP experts I'll defer to here, but I'm noticing in updated planning docs that the expectation is that with lower field areas, devices won't be permanently damged/destroyed, but they will need to be power cycled. Granted, much of that guidance focuses on SREMP/TREE effects, but I still wouldn't count on a Hollywood-style "no more electronics" after HANE/HEMP.
EDIT:
I just realized I didn't define acronyms that some might not be familiar with, and it drives me nuts when I read federal guidance docs and they do the same thing, so...
HANE = High-Altitude Nuclear Explosion
HEMP = High-Altitude EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse)
SREMP = Short-Range EMP (From a nearby detonation)
TREE = Transient Radiation Effects on Electronics
IPAWS = Integrated Public Alerting and Warning System
This probably has more to do with the Emergency Broadcast system (AM) than anything else. It's a throwback to the cold war era, when all else fails there's a chance EBS would still be viable as a means to broadcast. Also reasonable to assume EBS has been hardened to resistant EM pulses/waves.
I'd imagine AM would be handy in a regional disaster. Where local up to regional infrastructure may be affected & down. However folks could still receive news & information over AM from outside the affected area.
KSL (Salt Lake) can be copied reliably in Tampa Fl. At night.
KSL (a 'blowtorch' station @50KW) can, with permission (as a EBS), boost their ERP much higher. It can be heard in the intermountain west, the west coast and parts of Canada - as can many AM stations.
Back in the day, WLW was almost a single channel National AM radio station.
See - WLW - Wikipedia
Big Iron AM BCB stations still exist and operate. Most Powerful MW/AM Stations – Medium Wave Circle
This winter, put up an antenna and park your old AM radio next to it and see just how much you can pick up.... Fun - and cheap hobby.
___
KSL (a 'blowtorch' station @50KW) can, with permission (as a EBS), boost their ERP much higher. It can be heard in the intermountain west, the west coast and parts of Canada - as can many AM stations.
Back in the day, WLW was almost a single channel National AM radio station.
See - WLW - Wikipedia
Big Iron AM BCB stations still exist and operate. Most Powerful MW/AM Stations – Medium Wave Circle
This winter, put up an antenna and park your old AM radio next to it and see just how much you can pick up.... Fun - and cheap hobby.
___
About disaster and radio in general
Helene Aftermath | Q R P e r
Thomas, K4SWL was in the area hit by Helene. This has his direct experiences with radio and how it can help.
I've some of this before, but it pays to look at a persons actual experiences....
Helene Aftermath | Q R P e r
Thomas, K4SWL was in the area hit by Helene. This has his direct experiences with radio and how it can help.
I've some of this before, but it pays to look at a persons actual experiences....
It's stupid that car makers would delete AM radio and keep FM radio. That 50 cent AM radio chip costs too much but the 25 HD cameras and radar blind spot detectors don't? The EV makers deleted AM because their inverters and other electronics make so much RF noise that an AM radio would be useless.
So if congress mandates that 50 cent chip, too ****ing bad.
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The functionality is already there, the car makers probably just disabled it.
So if congress mandates that 50 cent chip, too ****ing bad.
The functionality is already there, the car makers probably just disabled it.
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