A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to make it illegal for carmakers to eliminate AM radio from their cars, arguing public safety is at risk, Axios is first to report. AM radio is one key way that government officials communicate with the public during natural disasters and other emergencies. Officials worry that if drivers don't have access, they might miss important safety alerts. Some manufacturers are eliminating AM radio from their electric vehicles (EVs) because of interference from the electric motors that results in annoying buzzing noises and faded signals. They argue that car owners can still access AM radio content through digital streaming packages or smartphone apps (though such services sometimes require a subscription).

While AM might seem like a relic of the past, nearly 50 million people still listen to it, according to Nielsen figures provided by the National Association of Broadcasters. The proposed legislation, to be introduced today by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and others, would require all new vehicles to include AM radio at no additional charge.

EV makers that have already eliminated AM radio (BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo) would be required to let consumers know. The law would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study whether alternative communication systems are as effective in reaching the public during emergencies. "The importance of AM radio during large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated, and it has, without a doubt and without interruption, saved lives and kept our communities informed," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), the lead sponsor in the House.
https://www.axios.com/2023/05/17/am-radio-congress-cars

FM doesn't have the range of AM. When I drive towards LA, I have to change between NPR stations they are all FM. Venerable AM station KNX in LA even reaches even to where I live.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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As if AM doesn't have enough trouble today with all the interference from switching supplies, plasma TVs (going out of use), and lots of other spectrum encroachments.

Car manufacturers are just taking the easy millennial way out with that deletion.

The again, the 50kW rocker from Tucson comes in like a local @ 90 miles away.
"Oozing charm from every pore, he oiled his way around the floor."

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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Just how many people still listen to AM radio in their cars or at all? Most of the people I know use Apple CarPlay or the Android version. If not that then SirusXM or other satellite stations. Many just have their recorded stuff on a USB memory Flash drive and plug that in. So many of the AM radio stations have long ago gone to "talk" radio with a rightwing or Christian bias. NPR in the DFW area is on FM not AM.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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I haven't turned my car radio on more than once or twice and then only accidentally in several decades.

But I do have fond memories from the late 1950s or early 1960 of making a pilgrimage down into the Shenandoah Valley to visit several all girls colleges and listening to WWVA as it strengthened or disappeared depending on which way the valley I was crossing was oriented or whether I was nearing the crest of a hill. The incessant rain, WWVA and the irregular beat of vacuum wipers and dimming of the headlights depending on whether I was going uphill or downhill were my companions for many a long drive.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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Where are the free-marketeers? If AM is SO desirable, then the car companies that still have it should see their sales increase and those that don't to see THEIR sales decrease.
AM radio as a safety feature in cars is a MUCH heavier lift than seat belts, air bags, and crash resistance.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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SubRosa wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 10:07 am As if AM doesn't have enough trouble today with all the interference from switching supplies, plasma TVs (going out of use), and lots of other spectrum encroachments.

Car manufacturers are just taking the easy millennial way out with that deletion.

Then again, the 50kW rocker from Tucson comes in like a local @ 90 miles away.
KNX in LA is also a 50,000 watt station, very old as the first licensed US stations only had 3 call letters. In an emergency if the internet was down and satellite radio out, I'd tune into KNX. A clear channel station at night, I expect it can be heard in AZ and NV.

Years ago I was driving down I-39 in Illinois and was really surprised that I was picking up NPR AM stations in Iowa, Indiana and IIRC Missouri. All the NPR stations down here and in the Bay Area are FM.
The advantages of AM radio are that it is relatively easy to detect with simple equipment, even if the signal is not very strong. The other advantage is that it has a narrower bandwidth than FM, and wider coverage compared with FM radio. The major disadvantage of AM is that the signal is affected by electrical storms and other radio frequency interference. Also, although the radio transmitters can transmit sound waves of frequency up to 15 kHz, most receivers are able to reproduce frequencies only up to 5kHz or less. Wideband FM was invented to specifically overcome the interference disadvantage of AM radio.

A distinct advantage that FM has over AM is that FM radio has better sound quality than AM radio. The disadvantage of FM signal is that it is more local and cannot be transmitted over long distance. Thus, it may take more FM radio stations to cover a large area. Moreover, the presence of tall buildings or land masses may limit the coverage and quality of FM. Thirdly, FM requires a fairly more complicated receiver and transmitter than an AM signal does.
https://www.diffen.com/difference/AM_vs_FM
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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I support the idea of legislation keeping AM radio in cars as long as any radio (FM) is going to be offered. It’s not a big expense for car manufacturers and I agree that retaining a reliable way for emergency information broadcast via cheap, effective AM just makes sense. Truly, it baffles me that Millenials can’t imagine having the internet or cellular signal go down in an emergency when people regularly experience dropped calls in their own city (oftentimes where they live) as an everyday occurrence.

Frustratingly illustrates how little people pay attention to reality and the real possibility of emergencies these days.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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sig230 wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:39 am I haven't turned my car radio on more than once or twice and then only accidentally in several decades.

But I do have fond memories from the late 1950s or early 1960 of making a pilgrimage down into the Shenandoah Valley to visit several all girls colleges and listening to WWVA as it strengthened or disappeared depending on which way the valley I was crossing was oriented or whether I was nearing the crest of a hill. The incessant rain, WWVA and the irregular beat of vacuum wipers and dimming of the headlights depending on whether I was going uphill or downhill were my companions for many a long drive.
Same here. My auto radios haven't been turned on in years. F150 am/fm radio hasn't worked for 8 - 10 years or so - never bothered to replace or repair. Same for entertainment center stereo at home - never use except for movie surround sound or music CD's. Have used my emergency AM radio for NOAA weather reports during power outages.
"Being Republican is more than a difference of opinion - it's a character flaw." "COVID can fix STUPID!"
The greatest, most aggrieved mistake EVER made in USA was electing DJT as POTUS.

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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For emergencies that would require an AM radio in my car, I have WAZE and Apple Maps that can give me traffic updates. My iPhone will give me emergency info through the Denton Alert system right to the iPhone. My RAV4 has WIFI and can track me and could give emergency info.
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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TrueTexan wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 5:06 pm For emergencies that would require an AM radio in my car, I have WAZE and Apple Maps that can give me traffic updates. My iPhone will give me emergency info through the Denton Alert system right to the iPhone. My RAV4 has WIFI and can track me and could give emergency info.
That's good, but as we said before, the cellular network is fractional, with no less than 3 main providers, each with different in-house standards for reliability in the event of a grid failure.

Some sites are really hardened against failure with big battery reserves, plentiful fuel for gensets, and top flight security. Most I've seen have no such provisions and rely solely on the grid for energy, and security is a joke with a user shared site having just a padlock on the door.

Internet providers are way down the list in all of the above criteria.

Every 50kW AM station I've ever been to has backup transmission equipment, gensets with plenty of fuel, and multiple paths for program delivery for the simple reason: Dead air makes no $.

Also, all radio stations in the US are required to either participate in local, state, and federal emergency information broadcasts or shut down in that event.

Once in a while I'll get an Amber alert on my cell, and my carrier is regarded as the best out there.

I haven't heard any alerts in months...even when there are alerts playing on TV or radio.

Place your faith where you will in that event.
"Oozing charm from every pore, he oiled his way around the floor."

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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SubRosa is a radio engineer that designs and installs broadcast equipment for federally licensed radio stations. But what he says is pretty obvious even to a bloke like me.

Imagine this: internet and cellular coverage is based on several small small parts linked together to form information networks. Any one of those parts fail and a localized area will suffer information blackout. The further up the chain failure is you can be sure the blackout area becomes exponentially larger.

Each radio station has a single broadcast point covering a wide range depending on its power. The range for AM radio is very wide for a small amount of power. The technology is basic and has proven durable over time. Perfect for emergency situations when hi-tech is most vulnerable.

Everyone that is describing how they get their music or news right now is simply not thinking about what happens when the electrical grid goes down. Period.

AM radio will still broadcast due to diesel generations that automatically kick-on. Radios will still receive using batteries. Wifi and cell signals?… good luck.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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Bisbee wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:32 pm Everyone that is describing how they get their music or news right now is simply not thinking about what happens when the electrical grid goes down. Period.
Very true, my internet is cable and it goes out periodically. Usually in my area it's winds or there has been an accident and a pole or two went down or problems with a dish. About a month ago the cell tower in my area of town was knocked out due to winds, thankfully the cable internet worked so I had WiFi for calls.

Yup AM is a key resource in case of emergency and the most likely emergency for me is weather related. I'm not worried about the zombies or militias or that China will invade.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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I have an emergency hand crank radio that has shortwave and AM FM for end of days. Takes batteries too. Need to hook it up to some cheapo solar panels.
My dad's shop has all sorts of shortwave stuff I should prolly grab some.
I do also have a nice antenna on my roof I can broadcast from if need be.
Try finding a good roof antenna these days.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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SubRosa wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 9:11 pm One of my fantasies is to have lived in the 1930's, be a competent radio engineer, and working for Powell Crosley at WLW while running 500kW.

It seems having a good income during the depression made it a lot different than most folks went thru. Radio was really hot then.
SubRosa wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:17 pm This is the deal on an emergency radio:

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product ... ?a=1123927

We have 3 of them, a good value for $50.

AM-FM-SW-WX, powers from built-in solar cells, AA batteries, or hand crank with internal NiCd cells. Also a flashlight. About 4"x8"x2".
I have an AM-FM-SW-WX, but it's battery & plug in and I forget to change the batteries. That's a good price with crank and solar. Thanks SR !

Powel Crosley had his fingers in a lot of things. I remember years ago seeing his Crosley Motors vehicles in car museums so I researched him. The Crosley brothers were ahead of their time.
The first Crosley Motors, Inc. automobile made its debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 28, 1939, to mixed reviews. The compact car had an 80-inch (200 cm) wheelbase and a 38.87-cubic-inch (637.0 cm3), two-cylinder, air cooled Waukesha engine. Crosley estimated that his cloth-top car, which weighed less than 1,000 pounds (450 kg), could get fifty miles per gallon at speeds of up to fifty miles per hour. The sedan model sold for $325, while the coupe sold for $350. Panel truck and pickup truck models were added to the product line in 1940.] During the pre-war period, the company had manufacturing plants in Camp Washington, Ohio; Richmond, Indiana; and Marion, Indiana. When the onset of war ended all automobile production in the United States in 1942, Crosley had produced 5,757 cars. After World War II ended, Crosley resumed building its small cars for civilian use. His company's first post-war automobile rolled off the assembly line on May 9, 1946.The new Crosley "CC" model automobile continued the company's pre-war tradition of offering small, lightweight, and low-priced cars. It sold for $850 and got thirty to fifty miles per U.S. gallon. In 1949 Crosley became the first American carmaker to put disc brakes on all of its models. Unfortunately for Crosley, fuel economy ceased to be an inducement after gas rationing ended, and American consumers also began to prefer bigger cars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosley
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: A bi-partisan Congressional group wants to ensure that AM radio is not removed from vehicles.

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CDFingers wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 8:22 pm Long live Wolfman Jack and the Mighty XERB.

CDFingers
You meant to say XERA. Not only the Wolfman but later Bill Mack, The Midnight Cowboy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XERA-AM
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.-Huxley
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis Brandeis,

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