The Electrek.co spec sheet lists FM and Internet radio, but no AM radio. This has been the case on the X for a while, but I wonder how that will impact interest by the general public.
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Todd Burch
14-Year Member
You can get tons of radio stations through its internet streaming radio. AM is so 1999.
strykeroz
Member
I know I listen to two AM radio stations routinely, but I don't see this as a downside. They both stream, and I could live without the buzz near railway lines, the bursts of static every summer afternoon when storms are about, and how they vanish the instant I go underground to park...I think I'll live.
e-FTW
New electron smell
Just noticed that in the delivery videos that popped up today. They actually thought there was no FM radio either, but may be misinformed.
To me the big downside to the absence of analog radio is live sports: those get blocked/blacked out on any streaming service because the leagues will sell you streaming through their own service. That means you cannot listen to your local team's games in the car unless you subscribe to their service and use your phone. No free lunch anymore.
To me the big downside to the absence of analog radio is live sports: those get blocked/blacked out on any streaming service because the leagues will sell you streaming through their own service. That means you cannot listen to your local team's games in the car unless you subscribe to their service and use your phone. No free lunch anymore.
In general I’m ok with streaming radio, but two of the three FM stations I listen to aren’t available from TuneIn. All three are part of IHeartRadio so I’m a little surprised that one of them is available. I’m assuming that FM radio is available and the software just isn’t finished yet.
e-FTW
New electron smell
So the real loss seems to be AM radio, for live sports. I love me a good baseball game in the car. No go in the 3...
Its Tesla.. the car is FM radio capable, like its FSD capable...just not implemented yet. Its the one good thing about being in a RHD country, by the time they get round to making RHD cars the software might be written and mostly debugged.
e-FTW
New electron smell
Challenge may not only be blacked out live sports (TuneIn plays some re-heated shows during the games), but as noted on Model3Owners, when driving on roads that advertise an AM station for road conditions and other info, how would you get to those stations without a good old AM radio?
(I know this is not new, but the number of Model 3 drivers will soon eclipse the X drivers, and this might come up a lot)
There certainly is FM antenna on the rear window (unless it is LTE antenna?)
See at 3:05 (those not connected tracks looking like heating elements)
See at 3:05 (those not connected tracks looking like heating elements)
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AM is dying. And with a reason. Quality can not get better. It's worse than FM. And FM is also not awesome.
Why keep old things alive if we have much better things to use. Even FM is phased out slowly. Norway was #1.
Why keep old things alive if we have much better things to use. Even FM is phased out slowly. Norway was #1.
souslik
Member
Yeah, analog radio is already or soon to be dead in Europe. But the US doesn't have DAB (terrestrial digital broadcast), so I guess FM is there to stay for a little bit longer. What can we expect in regards of DAB+ radio in Model 3? Do European Model S and X have it?
Can't see too good on the video. Can you screen cap the area you think is the antenna?
Also, working occasionally with antennas and stuff, I would not put LTE antenna too far from the actual radio, cable losses and such. Rear window doesn't sound good plan. I'd put all such antennas somewhere on the front dash so they'd have short distance to radio and tell the window guy to leave gap on the metallic layers around that spot (assuming it has some metallic parts)
Valid points. I use AM radio in the Model S almost daily. Sometimes streaming doesn't work well in a dead zone, and/or it doesn't have the station I'm looking for which means I have to load iHeartRadio on my phone and listen through Bluetooth (not a huge deal, but it's another 3 steps instead of one tap of the screen). Or usually the stream is slightly behind so if I'm on a short drive and trying to get some quick news or game update, you can switch over to the actual AM station and it hops over a bit of commercial time. Bottom line it's nice to have the option.
Sadly this year my Angels decided to start a losing streak at the close of the year, and I still haven't forgiven the Chargers for moving to LA so my live sports consumption is likely to decline imminently...
ProphetM
Member
Time to bust out the old handheld transister radio! No school like the old school, LOL.
Petra
Member
The last time I listened to broadcast radio in a car was probably before I got my license... when I was a passenger in my parents' cars. Since then, it's been either cassette to aux. adapters, CDs, aux. input, MP3 CDs, USB flash drives, media over Bluetooth, in-car streaming, or the habit of not listening to anything at all that I picked up after buying an M Roadster in 2008 (it was noisy enough to where there was no point in trying to listen to anything... same went for my NB Miata).
I did, however, read a hilarious rant not too long ago about how EVs are part of some radical left wing conspiracy to silence conservatives because they're starting to omit AM radio. There are some funny people on the internet...
I did, however, read a hilarious rant not too long ago about how EVs are part of some radical left wing conspiracy to silence conservatives because they're starting to omit AM radio. There are some funny people on the internet...
e-FTW
New electron smell
Am getting a feeling I sound a little like “get off my lawn!” I very well know that AM (and FM) are slowly dying.
I guess having grown up with AM/FM I know to use them when I need them. I also stream all the things like all of you.
But when the Giants are on, and I am in the car, I need AM to listen to them.
Or just pony up money to send to the MLB because, again, there is no free lunch anymore. I remember a time where putting up with ads during a broadcast was all you needed to do to get content to your ears (or eyes).
Now get off my lawn. ;-)
That still does not offer a solution to the panels on the road that tell you to tune in to some AM station for road conditions or information. Solution must work for the majority of drivers.
I guess having grown up with AM/FM I know to use them when I need them. I also stream all the things like all of you.
But when the Giants are on, and I am in the car, I need AM to listen to them.
Or just pony up money to send to the MLB because, again, there is no free lunch anymore. I remember a time where putting up with ads during a broadcast was all you needed to do to get content to your ears (or eyes).
Now get off my lawn. ;-)
That still does not offer a solution to the panels on the road that tell you to tune in to some AM station for road conditions or information. Solution must work for the majority of drivers.
That's great! Hadn't even thought of that, but Tesla could charge a premium for a "Rush-proof" car!
david_42
Member
Odd, this is the first thing I thought about when I started reading the thread. So few people listen to AM these days, the stations are being sold for a song (NPI), conservatives and evangelicals are snapping them up. You get much more range with an AM transmitter vs FM for the same power input.
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