mandating AM radio...they're serious about this

[defcon888]

Emergency services and updates can be done via a text message or a "Megan" alert type system.

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[Jccoryell]

H.R.3413 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Listened to some of the hearing on CSPAN this morning. The cover for this is the emergency broadcast system which was built around AM radio and that AM has the greatest reach. Some acknowledgements that lots of folks don't have AM in their house, but, hey, they can go to their cars to get emergency broadcasts. Some truth to that (see Electric cars are ditching AM radio — a critical safety tool (axios.com) ). Turns out though what really had some of the folks in the House spun up is that AM is the go-to place for conservative talk shows...somehow not having AM in vehicles like the Rivian is part of the Elite's plot to stifle conservative voices ( New electric cars won’t have AM radio. Rightwingers claim political sabotage | Media | The Guardian ). Of course, you can get pretty much whatever you want from tune-in, but never mind.

Big fan here of safety regulations, not so much a fan of going beyond that. I still have an emergency radio that can run off batteries or by winding it up. If Congress is going to go the safety argument on this issue, companies should be given the option to of giving customers an AM radio they can take with them rather than having to reengineer EV wiring so that AM is 'listenable'.

Going to send a note to my representative.

AM radio in NY Is alive and well. 1010 Wins, Wabc, the Fan and more. I listen to it constantly. WinS is the only reliable way to get traffic especially with super useless navigation in the Rivian. The navigation has never once been accurate with local city traffic. When I drive upstate, there is no streaming. It doesn't work and the Rivian doesn't have XM. All the local FM channels have a 10 minute coverage area before I need to scan for a new channel and they're all country music anyway. So, yes, AM is essential. My trips upstate in the Rivian are silent since we have nothing to play

 

[C.R. Rivian]

AM radio in NY Is alive and well. 1010 Wins, Wabc, the Fan and more. I listen to it constantly. WinS is the only reliable way to get traffic especially with super useless navigation in the Rivian. The navigation has never once been accurate with local city traffic. When I drive upstate, there is no streaming. It doesn't work and the Rivian doesn't have XM. All the local FM channels have a 10 minute coverage area before I need to scan for a new channel and they're all country music anyway. So, yes, AM is essential. My trips upstate in the Rivian are silent since we have nothing to play

I mostly listen from my phone...mostly audiobooks on longer trips, my own music otherwise...the bluetooth music works well.

 

[Jccoryell]

I mostly listen from my phone...mostly audiobooks on longer trips, my own music otherwise...the bluetooth music works well.

That only works in areas with cell coverage which I do not have when making my regular drives upstate

 

[C.R. Rivian]

That only works in areas with cell coverage which I do not have when making my regular drives upstate

Sorry...I have my phone loaded with my music & stream via Bluetooth. Does not address your traffic issue of course...

 

[Steve A.]

That only works in areas with cell coverage which I do not have when making my regular drives upstate

Most streaming apps including Spotify and Audible let you cache content locally for low bandwidth situations.

 

[miasm]

My trips upstate in the Rivian are silent since we have nothing to play

Spotify works great for me in areas with zero cell reception. As long as you are currently playing music, when it loses service it’ll just start looping songs that it has cached, which are quite a few. In 8 hour drives with no coverage, I’ve maybe had repeat songs only a couple of times.

Now, if you start the truck with no coverage it won’t let Spotify go, which is a software issue they should fix. But on a drive, it works pretty seamlessly. I just spent a week exploring an area with zero coverage and was able to play Spotify the whole drive without coverage after I would crest a ridge that gave me one bar for a few seconds, and then press play on Spotify before I lose the coverage.

As an RF Engineer, AM radio is in some prime spectrum. Like primo amazing, great spectrum and we are using literally the most inefficient modulation scheme to transmit data across it, further wasting the spectrum. We should repurpose it into some sweet modern service that can better use that prime beachfront spectrum.

 

[tragicmonkey049]

Uhhh... I'm in a Rivian now, so tell me what to do when the lights are flashing??

 

[Autolycus]

Uhhh... I'm in a Rivian now, so tell me what to do when the lights are flashing??

Hope that particular 1380AM is on TuneIn? heheh

 

[atebit]

Life's best joys are the simple ones.

I thought it had something to do with “crushing your enemies “?

 

[azbill]

good idea...or put an AM/emergency radio in the the Bluetooth speaker...

Better yet integrate an XM antenna and receiver into it.

 

[defcon888]

If it's cheaper to give the buyer an AM radio to carry, as you do, I think that ought to be an option for companies like Rivian. If the chip solution works and is not more expensive, well, companies could do that...a little flexibility to meet a mandated end would be a good idea. Of course, expecting nuance from Congress may be too big an ask these days.

what Rivian should do is put a AM radio on the flashlight they give you in the door. Make it a little longer, add the control. If you want a real adventure, give us a kit and we build it ourselves..crystal radios......LOLOL.

 

[NineElectrics]

NOAA weather radio works on FM. This bill is unnecessary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOAA_Weather_Radio

But AM goes farther than FM. Much farther. So a lone operator could provide a lot of coverage in the zombie apocalypse scenario. But, who are we kidding, that’s probably a trap.

 

[COdogman]

But AM goes farther than FM. Much farther. So a lone operator could provide a lot of coverage in the zombie apocalypse scenario. But, who are we kidding, thst’s probably a trap.

Yes, I get that. I am old enough to remember going on road trips before satellite radio or streaming was available. I remember camping in the middle of nowhere CO and still being able to get Denver’s KOA 850 AM station on a portable radio. But that actually wouldn’t help us if we had an event happen near where we were camped. Knowing what’s happening hundreds of miles away in Denver won’t give me local info about a wildfire or a flood.

 

[Golfer04]

Yes, I get that. I am old enough to remember going on road trips before satellite radio or streaming was available. I remember camping in the middle of nowhere CO and still being able to get Denver’s KOA 850 AM station on a portable radio. But that actually wouldn’t help us if we had an event happen near where we were camped. Knowing what’s happening hundreds of miles away in Denver won’t give me local info about a wildfire or a flood.

Maybe it should be an option. Then buy it if you want. I never listen to am so don't want it, and won't listen if it is there.

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