Conservatives say liberals want to kill talk radio. But there’s plenty else on the AM dial – much of it essential
so hear me out… not a popular opinion by any stretch of the imagination… but the real reason manufacturers are doing this is because of how much RF spectral splatter EVs put out (think inverters/switching noise, computers, etc) and it’s bad news for ham radio operators that use AM/SSB bands. it’s cheaper to ignore the problem than it is to EMI shield everything to reduce the noise floor low enough so that the AM receiver works in the car, otherwise you’ll hear a bunch of static/popping/whining from the EV electronics that make the AM radio effectively useless. a similar concern that has since gone away was the battle over BPL [broadband over powerline] for the same reasons in that power lines would be effectively big antennas radiating crap in the AM bands. personally, i’m in favor of keeping AM around if it forces these manufacturers to follow proper EM shielding practices, but again… minority opinion for my own selfish reasons. the FCC doesn’t give a shit about ham radio, so it’s not looking good.
Damn, I wasn’t aware of this aspect of electric vehicles, but that makes sense and is interesting. Thanks for posting, looks like I have some reading to do.
and it’s not an easy problem to solve. proper EMI mitigation is a super tough engineering problem that you can make an entire career out of (and make good money doing so). there are so many sneak paths that can pop up that it turns into a constant game of whack-a-mole… simple things like applying a piece of tape to a cable harness next to a metal plate can either make the product pass or fail a radiated emissions spec…it’s crazy. and the automotive industry is so behind in the latest tech, the whole chip shortage thing during covid was because they’re using way outdated process nodes that no one wants to invest money in. don’t get me wrong, my fellow EEs in automotive do a good job given what they have to deal with, but they don’t have the experience in RF like us cellular/radio guys… obviously.
1,000% this.
Except it’s not just that a few hobbyists can’t play with their toys. The frequencies being disrupted aren’t limited to amateur radio bands which make up only a small fraction of the radio spectrum. This has the potential to disrupt military and emergency communication worldwide and I’m actually shocked it’s not a bigger issue. RF Pollution is a nasty problem and is one of the main reasons the FCC exists.Making this a political side-show about talk radio weakens the whole debate in my opinion, even if it has the potential to grab the attention of a wider audience. It’s much easier to refute that and “win” the argument.
I stopped using AM radio over a decade ago when I tuned in to such vitriol and hate that I couldn’t continue listening.
I love how people here ignore that most government notifications about emergencies is over AM radio.
Who needs to be notified about sudden storms/tornados/accidents/AMBER Alerts while they drive the US? /s
Most people get their emergency notifications on their mobile phone.
Don’t have a mobile phone in the year 2020+??
Then you’re doing it wrong.
Today is day 6 of some people still not having power after the recent barrage of nearly hurricane-strength storms along the southern US.
Those cheap AM/FM/weather radios that run off AA batteries are invaluable.
Phones are great for emergency notifications but I think AM would be better for long-term sustained emergencies. It’s a highly highly unlikely event though.
Phones require cell towers, internet backhauls, data centers, satellites, and power. I agree that phones are an absolutely fantastic first-line platform for emergency notifications. You still need more, though. There are many emergency scenarios that can hamper or disable cellular communication. Emergency preparedness is all about having redundancy and contingency plans. AM radio is extremely primitive, meaning it’s low power, easy to run, and easy to repair. It’s a fantastic option for a backup emergency warning system. Most people have one AM radio nowadays, and that’s in their car. I think keeping that option around is a good idea, considering how cheap AM radio components are.
EDIT: I’ll add that I’m fairly progressive. I just believe in defense-in-depth. Information is really important during emergencies, and we should have many ways to warn people that they’re in danger.
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Yes you would have to be listening to an AM station. I almost never listen to the radio, but when I do it is an FM station. The EBS breaks into that when any emergency arises.
AM is more effective for true emergency situations where civilization has broken down because the section of the spectrum it uses naturally propagates further. You can hear an AM station over a much larger area than an FM station.
AM radio is not only longer range, as the person above already noted, but a highly stable and maintainable old technology requiring minimal functional infrastructure. It is perfect for emergency broadcasts. It’s actually idiotic to remove am radio, it’s a classic case of manufacturers trying to save a few cents because they don’t give a shit about public safety.
Funny that a democrat senator (Markey from MA) introduced a bill to prevent this (AM For Every Vehicle Act).
I’m far from conservative, but I don’t really want AM to be dropped either. It will hurt every AM station. Even those that are true local news stations that don’t spew conservative garbage.
That’s not a compelling reason on its own. If there aren’t enough people listening to AM radio for a radio studio to be profitable, perhaps that radio station does not need to exist?
Does it suck that Blockbuster isn’t around anymore? Maybe a bit for nostalgia reasons, but it went away because of a combination of poor business decisions and market forces. I don’t see how that is a problem that needs to be solved or avoided.
That’s not a compelling reason on its own. If there aren’t enough people listening to AM radio for a radio studio to be profitable, perhaps that radio station does not need to exist?
Well, they are profitable now. If cars move away from AM radio to make it easier on their own EMF emitting tech, then that’s an issue.
if only people had devices letting them tune into millions of “radio” channels anywhere that can be used through carplay or Android auto anywhere in the world with crystal clear audio…
The US is the only place that still even offers AM much less use the ancient crap.
If the market allows cars to not have AM radios, then obviously AM radio is not that important.
Also, cars are not the only way to listen to the radio.
I’d be annoyed to lose it, but I don’t think manufacturers should be forced to include it in every car.
This should be addressed. Not because of the hate spewed on AM radio but because we shouldn’t lose that capability. AM radio is overall a benefit to society.
Ah yes, it’s a Wednesday and rightwingers have checks notes found something else that threatens their fragile egos.
I often listen to baseball and other sports radio on AM when I’m in the car. I would hate to lose that option.
AM radio is still useful for public broadcast for emergencies. It offers better range, is more simple to generate, and is more resilient to intense weather that could interfere with FM or other radio frequencies.
Some of these emergencies can knock out other communication methods, so the idea of depending on phone alerts is a bit naive.
That’s also assuming the emergency didn’t also knock out electricity and your ability to charge your phone over many days or weeks or longer. AM/FM radios require a few batteries and can last a long time.
With that said, you can still get emergency information on many FM stations as well. There are also other radio frequency spectrum that are used for public broadcast information during emergencies. Familiarize yourself with the ones in your areas and ensure you have a way to receive those frequencies.
But ultimately I get the decision. Electric vehicles are essentially EMI (electromagnetic interference) machines. Like @debounced said in their post, dealing with this EMI is a tough problem to solve. Sure it can be solved, but the benefits really don’t outweigh the effort.
Not the end of the world but it would have been nice to have it. AM travels much farther than FM which would be helpful in catastrophic events.
But the chances of something like that happening are very low. If you’re that paranoid, you can get a ham radio.
I grew up in a South Georgia farming community, AM Radio is/was full of farm programs in some rural places that don’t get good cellular signals meaning farmers can’t replace that info with a cell phone. I get that tech marches forward and old tech usually gets left behind, but in this case, I think it’s more than that for some communities. I agree though that the GOP has jumped on it only because a significant part of their reach could be cut off because between the morning and afternoon farm reports there was definitely Rush Limbaugh.
Most farmers I knew growing up would cling to old tech for as long as possible anyway, so I’m not sure how many are buying electric cars and pickups. But, as we march towards a more electric future it’s a concern I’m sure. The best option I can think of is, to have an optional, cheap but optional, AM Radio adapter kit of some kind.
Disclaimer: We moved from that rural community to a suburb of Raliegh and eventually settled in a Suburb of Atlanta so I have no clue if those same farmers are clamped to the AM like they used to be. I’m just saying I can see why farmers, and some rural people, could be very upset by this.
Thanks for reminding me that Rush Limbaugh died.
Portable AM radios still exist, and will continue to exist. Nobody is forcing them to stop using AM technology.
And I agree, they probably won’t be buying an electric vehicle anytime soon anyway lol
The damned commie libs won’t even put shortwave in my car! HOW WILL I LISTEN TO MY FAVORITE NUMBERS STATIONS??
No issues with radio in my car.
I think they just want to cut costs and push subscription based media.
Yeah I have AM in my EV as well, though I can’t say I’ve tried it. Plus if the EMF were the actual reason, wouldn’t the alternator in ICEs cause similar interference?
you will actually hear junk from the alternator in the AM band if the voltage regulator(s)/rectifier goes bad or a ground gets corroded… the lead acid battery provides a nice smoothing function (almost ideal voltage source) since the alternator and engine have a low impedance bond to the negative terminal (system ground). the low frequency spectral emissions (very low harmonic content) from 1 alternator and associated circuitry is a much simpler problem than all the computers, ac inverters (induced high frequency currents running around everywhere), wiring harnesses, etc. that all act as rf generators/antennas.
I listen to AM radio almost daily during baseball season. I’ll miss it in the cars.
This is my lament for it good thing there are so many ways for me to stream it on my phone
Has your local channel not at least established an FM mirror? Mind did ages ago
Good.
Do people actually still listen to the radio?
I do, my commute is only 10 minutes so it’s easier to just listen to the radio. There’s 2 really good indie stations in my city that play good music without any commercials.
