I didn’t even realize Qualcomm removed the built in FM radio from their chips. Huh.

  • torvusbogpod@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Actually many modern electric cars are trying to get rid of FM radios because the electric motors can cause all sorts of interference (or so they say)

    • TheFerrango@lemmy.basedcount.com
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      1 year ago

      IIRC that’s just an issue with AM radios. And it happens with petrol cars too. A friend of mine’s car has this weird quirk where, while running below 50km/h, (I assume) the alternator generates RF interference in the AM band.

      We have nothing broadcasting there though, so no biggie.

      • tal@lemmy.today
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        1 year ago

        right next to the electric flares/beacons

        In the US, you can get magnesium road flares. IIRC, some places in Europe don’t permit them due to fire risk, but in the States, I can get them even in California (which is probably about the most fire-conscious state out there).

          • tal@lemmy.today
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            1 year ago

            You’re entitled to use electric flares if you want, but I will use the chemical ones.

            First, I would point out that my comment is in response to your comment pointing out that electric flares may-or-may-not have a charged battery.

            Second, magnesium flares have much-better visibility.

            As for life, you can get longer ones, and use as many as you want; I carry three extended-size ones.

            I also have a flasher on something like a 400 Wh, large lithium battery that I keep in the car, but I’m not going to rely on that to have someone not slam into me in the fog.

              • tal@lemmy.today
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                1 year ago

                As for “improved visibility”: The goal of a flare is not to make everyone see you and to let you see what you are doing. The goal is to say “Hey, something is over here. Be careful”.

                Right. For which visibility is important.

                You do realize that your tail lights/brake lights are more or less the exact same LEDs, right?

                Yup. Which people proceed to slam into in those many-car pileups in the fog when they can’t see far-enough away that something is wrong despite people having their hazard blinkers on, and nicely illustrates why you would want to have magnesium flares.

    • gayhitler420@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      That’s bullshit.

      Ride around in a golf cart listening to the radio sometime. It works fine.

      Part of the reason the manufacturers want to get rid of the radios is because they make the entertainment center style consoles that all cars have now much more expensive.

      For most people, the best radio they own is the one in their car. Radios near interference sources like rotating iron parts need to be well shielded and a lot of the design techniques that will accommodate high selectivity and sensitivity are shared with interference tolerance.

      So even the shittiest car had to have a decent radio.

      Nowadays the shittiest car could have a godawful quality infotainment system if it weren’t for the damn radio that buyers expect. And it’s not like the manufacturers can just slap down a trash radio into the infotainment system, it would require shielding, separation and a host of other components and techniques that are just left off crappier digital electronics all together.

      Since so many other countries have sunset analog fm, theres readily available cheap shitty infotainment systems for use in the rios and versas that make up the majority of car sales in the us and have razor thin profit margins.

      So… no, the electric motors aren’t keeping them from putting a radio in electric cars.

      E: but if you don’t wanna believe gayhitler420s rant about radio, plenty of electric cars have am/fm radios in em, including the Toyota bz4x.