[Update: AM is staying!] AM Radio is removed on the 2024 Mustang

[IPOGT]

The internet is not as resilient as you think it is. Not so much from total failure but more from a performance perspective rather than a trunk line disruption by some government.
These station sites CAN be ip interconnected but they don’t HAVE to be. Not surprised, FYI, I am an RF engineer and no one knows what I do everyday.
If one depended on a series of unknown quality IP connections for wide coverage radio the dropout rates would be inconsistent at best.

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[unfairslide]

If it comes to the point where AM is really the only thing I can use to keep track of some national or worldwide emergency, worrying about whether my 2 door sports car has AM is the last thing I would care about. I'm finding a bunker not driving around town

 

[Bikeman315]

Thought this was interesting.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/indus...licks, NON AM 90D Opens, Both Subbed Last 30D

 

[IPOGT]

Boy, I could comment on that article for hours. This is a technology centric entertainment based argument article with no distinction being made between mode of operation vs. benefit/inherent trade offs of what it is they espouse. Details that are critical are easily being glossed over by the masses which is whom this was written for.
In short, the frequencies allocated to the AM broadcast band can be used if licensed in a different mode ( Some digital mode) which could likely improve sound quality. However, once the signal is digitized, it must be then recovered in the receiver which generally uses some form of D-A conversion. The ability of the signal to be recovered is now less dependent on signal strength and now much more dependent on the ability of the converter to work and decode a small signal without garbling ( BER) error rate. Story short, the AM broadcast station’s current operating conditions regarding coverage far exceed anything they would ever hope to achieve in any digital format without increasing dependence on infrastructure which is exactly the reason it remains. It’s why ham radio’s are still around.
In broadcast digital you’re either there or you aren’t. Weak signals are either completely ignored, 100% clear or garbled.
Good old AM just works. You’d actually be surprised to know that much (not all) of the bad sound quality is due to crappy poor quality AM radios themselves.

 

[AlloyPony]

My point was that the internet is extremely resilient - if it has 'failed' all manor of shit will have gone down. Not least the power and sources of information to talk about. Unless the price of chickens in Long Island is the limit of your interest!

Do you really think those AM stations are just a bloke and a transmitter or have you considered they may be connected to the outside world!

That's where you have gone wrong. A lot of radio transmission IS just a "bloke and a transmitter". Ever heard of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service? There are commercial AM stations (many of which don't require internet connectivity or influence from the outside world) and then you've got privately owned stations as well. Both can transmit emergency information long distances with nothing but electricity and an antenna.

If everything goes to hell in a hand basket, I can assure you people are going to be thankful for simple radio transmission.

 

[IPOGT]

That's where you have gone wrong. A lot of radio transmission IS just a "bloke and a transmitter". Ever heard of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service? There are commercial AM stations (many of which don't require internet connectivity or influence from the outside world) and then you've got privately owned stations as well. Both can transmit emergency information long distances with nothing but electricity and an antenna.

If everything goes to hell in a hand basket, I can assure you people are going to be thankful for simple radio transmission.

Spark gaps aren’t just for cars….Toto.

 

[OppoLock]

If it comes to the point where AM is really the only thing I can use to keep track of some national or worldwide emergency, worrying about whether my 2 door sports car has AM is the last thing I would care about. I'm finding a bunker not driving around town

Exactly

When the world turns into Fallout New Vegas I'll be sure to hunker down in my Mustang to listen in to that AM emergency broadcast

 

[goodlettjr]

Yup, if it's just a simple software update to re enable it, why leave it out in the first place? AM radio is still useful for things like local news and weather alerts.

just a thought. If it has the interference from anything, it may be that they just didn’t want to put out a bad quality product so they negated it. Makes sense to me as a non AM user but for others they may be detoured from purchasing.

I personally think that they were just standardizing vehicles, both electric and non electric because of the electric vehicles. Why have a difference that will cause customers to compare and complain. Just remove it and you only get people that will complain they don’t have it.

 

[Gregs24]

That's where you have gone wrong. A lot of radio transmission IS just a "bloke and a transmitter". Ever heard of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service? There are commercial AM stations (many of which don't require internet connectivity or influence from the outside world) and then you've got privately owned stations as well. Both can transmit emergency information long distances with nothing but electricity and an antenna.

If everything goes to hell in a hand basket, I can assure you people are going to be thankful for simple radio transmission.

I think that is drifting away from the car AM radio somewhat.

 

[Evo1986]

Okay folks, now you have it. AM will still be available. Now let us close this thread and focus on more important things like production dates

 

[5.0ALM]

Probably a good time to ask, and to satisfy a curiosity, how many hams here?

de VK4GHZ

 

[agreywolfe]

Probably a good time to ask, and to satisfy a curiosity, how many hams here?

de VK4GHZ

ah, i love ham. smoked, hickory, honey...all kinds of ham!

 

[lcbrownz]

Ford removed AM radio from the 2024 Mustang. I have been listening to Sirius / XM for probably 15 or so years now and haven't looked back. Aside from the occasional local event such as hurricane weather I don't use AM radio. Even then I mostly turn to internet based reports with maps and such. There is a bipartisan group of lawmakers that are pursing a bill called “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023” Are we holding onto 8 track tape, laser disc, cassette technology, or are they doing the right thing? I personally feel that AM radio is a major platform for many political mouth piece shows (both sides of the two party system) and this is a major driver. A few things to note, is that 8 out of the top 20 manufacturers have already eliminated the AM radio from models. Also there is lots of discussion that the electric motors of current and future models are causing interference with the AM signal.

Here are a few articles about it.
Ford Authority - BILL WOULD FORCE FORD, RIVALS TO EQUIP CARS WITH AM RADIO
AP News - Will dashboard AM radio be saved? Bipartisan bill would require automakers to keep it in new cars
Broadcast Law Blog - AM For Every Vehicle Act Introduced in House and Senate to Mandate AM Radio in Cars

Here is the Bill itself
AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023

What are your thoughts and opinion?

Ford reversed its decision.

 

[Tafische]

Probably a good time to ask, and to satisfy a curiosity, how many hams here?

de VK4GHZ

Howdy! KD4ZOY here

 

[goodlettjr]

Ford reversed its decision.

Did you bother to read the updated thread title?

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