Ford Blinks, AM radio returns

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

Ashful

Minister of Fire
Mar 7, 2012
18,622
Philadelphia
Sorry to tell you but adding back the AM radio does not take up any additional space - as demonstrated by the fact that Ford kept the components in there all along and just re-enabled them by a software update.
I design radio components for a living. MSEE with a specialty in RF electronics. I can tell you they do take up space, and they do have cost, however small. What you call evidence is a misunderstanding, and the fact that Ford had the electronics already integrated does not mean the components have zero cost and size.

We often leave a function integrated, because the cost of subtracting it from the current generation of hardware may be greater than the cost of just leaving it there. But that does not mean they take up no space and have zero cost, or that they might not be deleted to reclaim both on a subsequent hardware generation. When you're laying out a board which will see millions of units of production, decisions on function groups often go beyond the factors of direct cost and space, such as the NRE and logistical costs of adding it back, if they knew this was a potential item for legislation.
 

gthomas785

Minister of Fire
Feb 8, 2020
865
Central MA
I design radio components for a living. MSEE with a specialty in RF electronics. I can tell you they do take up space, and they do have cost, however small. What you call evidence is a misunderstanding, and the fact that Ford had the electronics already integrated does not mean the components have zero cost and size.

We often leave a function integrated, because the cost of subtracting it from the current generation of hardware may be greater than the cost of just leaving it there. But that does not mean they take up no space and have zero cost, or that they might not be deleted to reclaim both on a subsequent hardware generation. When you're laying out a board which will see millions of units of production, decisions on function groups often go beyond the factors of direct cost and space, such as the NRE and logistical costs of adding it back, if they knew this was a potential item for legislation.
I understand all of that - my work is a lot more similar to yours than you realize, evidently. Sorry if my post was a little snarky - Of course I realize that if the components take up physical space and cost money.
Still, I think the tiny savings that manufacturers gain by removing the AM radio from a car is never going to match the inconvenience caused to people who actually want to listen to AM radio, so I support the government intervention in this instance.
 

Ashful

Minister of Fire
Mar 7, 2012
18,622
Philadelphia
Oh, I agree the direct component cost is so small that it's silly we're even debating it. I'd argue the cost of any real-estate it consumes in your head unit is the bigger issue, but maybe even that isn't a big deal. My issue is more fundamental, with the acceptance of allowing the government yet another mandate on our consumer products, which has no direct bearing on the performance or safety of that product. Maybe the next time this happens, it will be a feature of which you are less fond, or which has more impact on cost.

If the government wants to get busy with mandating features on cars, why are they still allowing car manufacturers to sell cars without a spare tire? Seems that has a higher probability of affecting the safety of the driver, than any AM radio ever will.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P

gthomas785

Minister of Fire
Feb 8, 2020
865
Central MA
Oh, I agree the direct component cost is so small that it's silly we're even debating it. I'd argue the cost of any real-estate it consumes in your head unit is the bigger issue, but maybe even that isn't a big deal. My issue is more fundamental, with the acceptance of allowing the government yet another mandate on our consumer products, which has no direct bearing on the performance or safety of that product. Maybe the next time this happens, it will be a feature of which you are less fond, or which has more impact on cost.

If the government wants to get busy with mandating features on cars, why are they still allowing car manufacturers to sell cars without a spare tire? Seems that has a higher probability of affecting the safety of the driver, than any AM radio ever will.
And, it's ridiculous that the government needed to step in on something as silly as this. "Safety" was the technicality they used but we all know that's not the real reason. What are we supposed to do when companies refuse to provide a dirt cheap thing that people want?

I won't go on too long because I don't want to get the thread locked, but personally I wish the government would mandate all sorts of stuff. Spare tires would be a good start.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sloeffle

stoveliker

Minister of Fire
Nov 17, 2019
7,261
Long Island NY
I googled and read the (Forbes) piece mentioning the 82 million folks still listening to am radio.

It also says that am radio only accounts for 20 percent of radio listening (terrestrial). 1/3 of them is older than 65.
Farmers listen a lot in spring and summer (local weather etc in rural areas).
 

EbS-P

Minister of Fire
Jan 19, 2019
4,490
SE North Carolina
I googled and read the (Forbes) piece mentioning the 82 million folks still listening to am radio.

It also says that am radio only accounts for 20 percent of radio listening (terrestrial). 1/3 of them is older than 65.
Farmers listen a lot in spring and summer (local weather etc in rural areas).
Turning on AM radio only once a month does not make one an AM listener in my book. More than once a week sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful and sloeffle

stoveliker

Minister of Fire
Nov 17, 2019
7,261
Long Island NY
Turning on AM radio only once a month does not make one an AM listener in my book. More than once a week sure.
Hence my googling: I wanted to know the listening hours. That's the 20 percent. 1 in 5 hours of radio listening is to am, 4 in 5 is FM.
 

old greybeard

Burning Hunk
Oct 29, 2018
159
PA
Hence my googling: I wanted to know the listening hours. That's the 20 percent. 1 in 5 hours of radio listening is to am, 4 in 5 is FM.
And I bet someone in Ford marketing saw the response and realized a large number of F150 buyers are older/rural and would actually consider another vehicle just for AM. Decisions made by bean counters on the coasts aren’t always the best move.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful

stoveliker

Minister of Fire
Nov 17, 2019
7,261
Long Island NY
The decision to take out AM was not by bean counters on the coast, but by some guy in the (car building) mid-West...?