11 ms·

So people driving new Ford vehicles won't be able to get weather/emergency information in the Rockies/Sierra's (and others I'm sure) along with the vast stretch

So people driving new Ford vehicles won't be able to get weather/emergency information in the Rockies/Sierra's (and others I'm sure) along with the vast stretches of I-70/80 (and likely more) that don't have any services for long stretches. Granted the primary user for these broadcasts are over-the-road truckers who likely have other options, but it's also handy to tune into an AM station to hear the weather and road conditions when there's no usable cell service.

xwdv 4y ago
[flagged]
- skullone 4y ago
  But it's a feature that comes in quite handy, for only a few dollars of manufacturing cost. I tune to road status AM radio all the time when driving over the mountains
  - xwdv 4y ago
    A few dollars in manufacturing costs per vehicle easily adds up to millions.
    - lozenge 4y ago
      And a few tens of thousands of dollars of revenue per vehicle adds up to billions.
      - flandish 4y ago
        There are a bunch of example replies about how AM is used as a direct life safety device and you and others seem to keep simping for a corp’s ability to profit. Literally choosing profit over people. AM is not replaced by FM, Cell, wifi, iphone 14 sat emerg use… it’s a device that also states use in service to the citizens. It should be mandatory due to the nature of Khz bandwith signal propagation over the Mhz fm band.
        xwdv 4y ago
        Ford already made the decision for you. If you need an AM radio, bring your own. They are about $10 on Amazon. Most people don’t need it. As a bonus, you can take an AM radio with you as opposed to leaving it in your car, so when you have to run away and hide under some bridge to escape a tornado you could have the radio with you.
        bacchusracine 4y ago
        >Ford already made the decision for you. If you need an AM radio, bring your own. Alternatively, simply don't buy a Ford....
        JohnFen 4y ago
        Or buy an old car. Since it appears to be impossible to buy new cars that don't phone home or have those horrific touch screen console displays, this is what I expect I'll be doing for the rest of my life.
        poulsbohemian 4y ago
        What's interesting about this is that the cost of an AM radio is essentially nothing, Ford owners (specifically trucks) are often very conservative which includes their views on truck design (see past Ford updates and reporting), and often rural - so exactly the people who are most likely to use AM radio. So Ford must either be clueless in alienating their customers or believe that the tradeoffs are worth this move.
        flandish 4y ago
        >decision Right. I get that. I think it’s a misguided decision. But I get it. Because I understand that profit is their only driving motivation (no pun intended). What I don’t grok is how many replies there are here quite literally picking on those people who demonstrate legitimate life safety uses for the AM band, Some of those by the State providing a service. Yes, do not buy this if you decide you need AM as a backup. I get that. Heck, I already won’t buy cars that can be disabled remotely. “Old man yells at cloud” memes aside.
- pempem 4y ago
  This ethos "if its important to you bring your own" is literally the opposite of user-first development. We've strayed deeply and meaningfully into premiumization and only the consumer (human beings, like us) will suffer.
  - charcircuit 4y ago
    AM radio is a niche use case. I've never used AM radio in my life. User first development means that you need to include every niche feature a user may want.
    - jeauxlb 4y ago
      I’ve never used a wheelchair ramp but don’t mind that buildings that I use have them. This move is just laziness by automotive manufacturers not wanting to address their negative externalities (spewing RF into the local environment), disguised as efficiency/progress.
      - thghtihadanacct 4y ago
        Right?! Gimme AM, keep your SIM/WiFi away
    - galleywest200 4y ago
      My state (Washington) actively uses specific AM stations for traffic and weather alerts.
      - charcircuit 4y ago
        Phones (carplay / android auto) have replaced this. Google maps can show a much better picture of the current traffic conditions than a radio broadcast.
        jjav 4y ago
        > Google maps can show a much better picture of the current traffic conditions than a radio broadcast. There is no cell phone signal in many areas.
- viraptor 4y ago
  On the other hand, if it's that important for safety, people shouldn't have to bring their own.
  - jdminhbg 4y ago
    They don’t come with built-in chains or snow tires, either.
    - viraptor 4y ago
      Chains and tires are something you use over time and replace so they can't be built-in. In this case anyway, because special purpose vehicles do come with deep track tires by default. On other roads you also want to not have chains or snow tires. You never want to not have AM radio - it doesn't matter if you don't use it and it's basically free given the car cost.
      - viraptor 4y ago
        (it's also free as in, the cost of removing it and redesign was likely higher than just shipping it as-is in the next few thousand of cars)
hotpotamus 4y ago
I keep a Baofeng VHF/UHF radio in my car now (~$22 on Amazon) to scan around when I'm stuck in traffic. It doesn't have AM, but there are VHF weather stations[0] (and military and first responder frequencies and all that - you can see how HAM nerds get into it) if you want. In theory you can also broadcast on certain frequencies with it, but you also get into FCC licensing territory with that. Overall it seems a lot more useful than an AM radio. [0]https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing
- galleywest200 4y ago
  This is all well and good, but my state (Washington) actively uses specific AM stations for traffic and weather alerts. You will see signs on the freeways saying "tune to 750AM for emergency weather alerts now" (or whatever the frequency is).
  - poulsbohemian 4y ago
    Also Washington and I can tell you there are a whole lot of people here in the hinterlands of the east who are regular AM listeners for weather, the sports ball games, and various other things. I know several radio station owners in the area and have to wonder if this will be the final nail in the coffin for them.
- throw0101c 4y ago
  > first responder frequencies More and more services are moving to P25 and encrypting it: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_25 * https://www.taitradioacademy.com/topic/introduction-to-p25-encryption-1/ https://www.taitradioacademy.com/topic/introduction-to-p25-e...

xwdv 4y ago

[flagged]

skullone 4y ago
But it's a feature that comes in quite handy, for only a few dollars of manufacturing cost. I tune to road status AM radio all the time when driving over the mountains
- xwdv 4y ago
  A few dollars in manufacturing costs per vehicle easily adds up to millions.
  - lozenge 4y ago
    And a few tens of thousands of dollars of revenue per vehicle adds up to billions.
    - flandish 4y ago
      There are a bunch of example replies about how AM is used as a direct life safety device and you and others seem to keep simping for a corp’s ability to profit. Literally choosing profit over people. AM is not replaced by FM, Cell, wifi, iphone 14 sat emerg use… it’s a device that also states use in service to the citizens. It should be mandatory due to the nature of Khz bandwith signal propagation over the Mhz fm band.
      - xwdv 4y ago
        Ford already made the decision for you. If you need an AM radio, bring your own. They are about $10 on Amazon. Most people don’t need it. As a bonus, you can take an AM radio with you as opposed to leaving it in your car, so when you have to run away and hide under some bridge to escape a tornado you could have the radio with you.
        bacchusracine 4y ago
        >Ford already made the decision for you. If you need an AM radio, bring your own. Alternatively, simply don't buy a Ford....
        JohnFen 4y ago
        Or buy an old car. Since it appears to be impossible to buy new cars that don't phone home or have those horrific touch screen console displays, this is what I expect I'll be doing for the rest of my life.
        poulsbohemian 4y ago
        What's interesting about this is that the cost of an AM radio is essentially nothing, Ford owners (specifically trucks) are often very conservative which includes their views on truck design (see past Ford updates and reporting), and often rural - so exactly the people who are most likely to use AM radio. So Ford must either be clueless in alienating their customers or believe that the tradeoffs are worth this move.
        flandish 4y ago
        >decision Right. I get that. I think it’s a misguided decision. But I get it. Because I understand that profit is their only driving motivation (no pun intended). What I don’t grok is how many replies there are here quite literally picking on those people who demonstrate legitimate life safety uses for the AM band, Some of those by the State providing a service. Yes, do not buy this if you decide you need AM as a backup. I get that. Heck, I already won’t buy cars that can be disabled remotely. “Old man yells at cloud” memes aside.
pempem 4y ago
This ethos "if its important to you bring your own" is literally the opposite of user-first development. We've strayed deeply and meaningfully into premiumization and only the consumer (human beings, like us) will suffer.
- charcircuit 4y ago
  AM radio is a niche use case. I've never used AM radio in my life. User first development means that you need to include every niche feature a user may want.
  - jeauxlb 4y ago
    I’ve never used a wheelchair ramp but don’t mind that buildings that I use have them. This move is just laziness by automotive manufacturers not wanting to address their negative externalities (spewing RF into the local environment), disguised as efficiency/progress.
    - thghtihadanacct 4y ago
      Right?! Gimme AM, keep your SIM/WiFi away
  - galleywest200 4y ago
    My state (Washington) actively uses specific AM stations for traffic and weather alerts.
    - charcircuit 4y ago
      Phones (carplay / android auto) have replaced this. Google maps can show a much better picture of the current traffic conditions than a radio broadcast.
      - jjav 4y ago
        > Google maps can show a much better picture of the current traffic conditions than a radio broadcast. There is no cell phone signal in many areas.
viraptor 4y ago
On the other hand, if it's that important for safety, people shouldn't have to bring their own.
- jdminhbg 4y ago
  They don’t come with built-in chains or snow tires, either.
  - viraptor 4y ago
    Chains and tires are something you use over time and replace so they can't be built-in. In this case anyway, because special purpose vehicles do come with deep track tires by default. On other roads you also want to not have chains or snow tires. You never want to not have AM radio - it doesn't matter if you don't use it and it's basically free given the car cost.
    - viraptor 4y ago
      (it's also free as in, the cost of removing it and redesign was likely higher than just shipping it as-is in the next few thousand of cars)

hotpotamus 4y ago

I keep a Baofeng VHF/UHF radio in my car now (~$22 on Amazon) to scan around when I'm stuck in traffic. It doesn't have AM, but there are VHF weather stations[0] (and military and first responder frequencies and all that - you can see how HAM nerds get into it) if you want. In theory you can also broadcast on certain frequencies with it, but you also get into FCC licensing territory with that. Overall it seems a lot more useful than an AM radio. [0]https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing

galleywest200 4y ago
This is all well and good, but my state (Washington) actively uses specific AM stations for traffic and weather alerts. You will see signs on the freeways saying "tune to 750AM for emergency weather alerts now" (or whatever the frequency is).
- poulsbohemian 4y ago
  Also Washington and I can tell you there are a whole lot of people here in the hinterlands of the east who are regular AM listeners for weather, the sports ball games, and various other things. I know several radio station owners in the area and have to wonder if this will be the final nail in the coffin for them.
throw0101c 4y ago
> first responder frequencies More and more services are moving to P25 and encrypting it: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_25 * https://www.taitradioacademy.com/topic/introduction-to-p25-encryption-1/ https://www.taitradioacademy.com/topic/introduction-to-p25-e...