I'm kind of sad the more I learn about Teslas

Yes, FM cuts out here too as you drive along. FM is in the VHF range, which is line-by-sight. In other words, if you can't see the station's antenna, you probably won't hear the station. AM's signals can go much farther as those are MF and can travel both from sky and ground wave propagation.

There are two towns I typically drive between, only 30 miles apart. Yesterday I was tuned into an FM station as I left one, but about 8 miles out it starts getting a lot of static as the signal drops from the mountains and only gets worse. Then I can pick up the same station on a different frequency starting about 6 or 7 miles close to the next town. FM also works in the same areas cellular works because cellular usually has the same problem as FM and the towers are located in the same vecinity.

But I can get an AM signal that's over 100 miles away pretty decently along the sam route.

I used to load my Android phone with music until they cut out the Google Play Music app. I've considered getting an iPhone, but I don't like bluetooth headsets and the bluetooth doesn't work in the Avalon, and iPhone has cut the 3.5mm jack from their phones and tablets. I mean, yes I can get a dongle.

BUT AGAIN! It's not just that I like radio for entertainment purposes. I was kicked hard in the butt with my pants down from buying this stupid phone I have now that does not have FM radio. Twice I've been in a severe storm without internet or cellular, up to 3 days. How would you feel if you can't get ahold of anyone, you can't google anything, you don't get anything on the TV, 'cause there's no electricity either, as winds are pushing trees down and one just smashed your shed and snow is falling hard, several feet in one day, and your last phone could listen to FM radio, but you just got a stupid brand new phone that doesnt?!

This is why I hate my phone, because they cut out FM. It is of no value in a natural disaster. I bought a phone for safety and security and it let me down because manufacturers stopped putting in FM. This is what got me interested in radio again. Now car companies are showing they want to follow the same path. They want to cut out radio because people have lost interest in it and don't care if it dies until the day they need it and it's their only access to vital information on what to do.

Yes, I can carry around an emergency radio. Yes, I know that. But I don't want to let radio die just because loading a bunch of MP3's onto my phone gets me better sound and better control over what I listen to. If car and phone manufactures are going to cut out features, there needs to be suitable alternatives, not just for entertainment purposes, but for emergencies too.

 

See, that's a feature that could replace FM and AM, possibly, eventually...

But there are still limits to it's practicallity so far. For starters, you have to be outside in order to get a satelite connection, which isn't good if you're in a natural disaster. How are you supposed to know if you can come out of your tornado shelter with a satellite non-connection? I'm sure satellite communication has improved over the years, but most people I've known that have had a satellite phone haven't had good success with them even in good weather.

Second, texting may not get you connected to what the authorities are directing everyone to do. When 15,000 people here were without phone and interenet services I don't see everyone going out with an iPhone and connecting to a satellite to send an SOS message would help at all. People need realtime info on what to do, where to go, and what not to do.

Third, there's also the potential for the same problem as cellular, that even when it works it tends to become oversaturated in a disaster because of the two way communication nature of it. Now, a satellite broadcasting down a one-way communication might work, kind of like amber alerts. But I don't think they've got that figured out completely even with cellphone towers yet, so who knows how it may or may not work with satellite.

 

But does that mean it's time to abandon what works now for something that might work some day?

Number 1 still doesn't mean every situation. There are times the authorities are going to want people to stay in even if there's no wind or other physical sign. If you're going to rely on what you can physically see because you don't have any line of communication, what's the point in having a line of communication that doesn't work?

I mean seriously. It's a bit stormy out and power, phone and internet go out. You hadn't watched the news recently. So do you assume it's a tornado or do you go out and point your phone in a certain direction and try to send out an SOS so the police can come by and inform you of what's going on? Or do you just tune in to the local stations on your AM/FM radio and see what authorities are saying?

 

Why can't we have both? If one fails you have the other? But trying to make it impossible to have one just so you're forced to use the other doesn't make any sense.

I want to go get an iPhone right now, and the next time I'm in a bad situation I'm going to use it and see if it really helps me. I'll have my FM/AM radio there. If I can't get the same help from the phone I'll write back a nasty letter asking why they didn't just put FM radio on it.

 

Agreed. At least until who knows what will actually come next or when.

On the other hand, next thing you'll know we'll have AM radio sound effects on our streaming apps for a little nostalgia.

But are the popular things that make the most money always what's best? Kind of like Bluetooth earphones having lagged behind in audio quality until recently, and actually still do if you ask an audiophile. Only now we're talking about what to do in emergencies.

And for all those out there reading this, I haven't heard of any expert saying go buy an iPhone so you can connect to Starlink for emergencies. Not that it's a bad idea, go ahead if you have the money or if your use case (e.g. hiking deep into the wilderness) would be better served by such tech. But it's a very good idea still in 2023 for every family or even every individual to have a battery powered AM/FM radio for emergency use. It's something recommended by any expert to put in an emergency kit or to-go bag. Just don't rely on your future or even current car to have both anymore.

 

That's interesting. Of course it'll need to be physically outside. Even in a car or by a window, that Garmin isn't going to work.

But at least that's better than paying $500 for a phone that does nothing when I got in an emergency. What's ironic about the whole going outside thing is I did go out in my car to listen to the radio, as my new stupidphone (Pixel 4a) didn't have FM. But the authorities were saying not to go out and not to sit in a car, to stay inside.

I think I'll stick with amateur radio though. Ham radio affords several more modes of communication (MF, HF, VHF, UHF, Satelite, Remote internet, Radio to telephone, etc.) and the licence needs to be paid every 10 years, not monthly. That, and it's fun and useful for other things not related to emergencies, instead of paying for something I hope I'll never need to use. Plus you also learn how radio communications work, so you're not stuck wondering why your device isn't working without a clue of how to fix it. Instead a ham radio operator knows why an antenna may or may not be connecting and how to build a better one out of common objects like wire, welding rod, coat hangers and a pair of pliers.

After we got hit by that storm that my Pixel 4a was worthless for, I went and pulled out my ol' ZTE Cymbal Z-320. I have two batteries, each last a week. It also has FM.

This month I went back to the Pixel though after using the flipphone for 10 months.

I do find texting easier on the flip phone than on the stupid "smart" phone.

 

At least I get invited to a potluck! I don't think Tim Cook would invite me to a potluck just for buying an iPhone... But maybe he would, I don't know!

I can hookup to a node way out in another state (or country) and send a text message or email to anyone I want. It's not what anyone else would be interested in doing, they'd rather buy an iPhone. But it works for me and I get to have fun talking to my brother and sister even though my sister lives in Central America.

Not that this is of any importance to this thread. I don't see Tesla including ham radio transceivers as an option any time soon. I'd just like an aux port, I'd be happy with that (or a tape deck player ).

 

I think it's perfectly fine if someone wants to use new stuff, such as Bluetooth, Android Auto, satellite and/or LTE connections, etc.

But I also think it's perfectly fine if someone wants to use older methods to do something. I just hate it when companies try to make it impossible for you to add some sort of tape or CD player or AM radio to your car, as if that's threatening their future.

I guess what I hate is the uncustomizability of new vehicles. Not that it's a deal breaker. But there are reasons a few people still would prefer to use CD's over MP3's over streaming, etc.