I'd like a car radio that looks for better reception of the program I'm listening to. For example, if I'm listening to a Red Sox game and the station fades because I've driven out of range, the radio would find a more local station with the same program. Same principal could also switch to traffic or weather alerts etc. automatically or scan for classical music, NPR, news, talk or what have you. (Maybe it could be programmed to ignore stations carrying things like Rush Limbaugh).-- dandr, Mar 31 2002 UK Digital Radio http://www.ukdigita...om/home/default.aspAlmost does this (likely will, soon). [waugsqueke, Apr 01 2002] Baked, and quite common these days. I'll find you a link.-- mcscotland, Mar 31 2002 The first suggestion sounded like you'd have two tuners, one the current station and another that "scans" looking for a matching stronger audio signal (plus or minus some finite delay). Rather than just selecting one or the other, maybe the radio could even use both signals at the same time to produce a better audio output? For example as you go pass a building that blocks one station, perhaps the other fills in the gap?
Searching for a particular genre of music or type of show sounds totally unrelated though, so maybe I'm misunderstanding...-- spartanica, Mar 31 2002 Radios like these exist [mcscotland]? How do they know what you are listening to so that they can find another closer station with the same program? Hurry up finding that link . . . I must see it.-- bristolz, Mar 31 2002 I should have been clearer in my original post. It would require radio stations to broadcast an inaudible signal that would identify either the particular program being broadcast or the type of program.-- dandr, Mar 31 2002 Digital radio can do much of this. (See link.)
My car audio system displays the programming type for local FM stations (eg. "talk", "news", "rock") using RDS (I think it stands for "radio data system"). But not very many stations broadcast this information, and there does not appear to be a way to seek stations based on it anyway. According to my manual, the system does have some sort of built-in "traffic" -station seeking system, but it only works if there is a traffic-content signal broadcast, which there isn't here.-- waugsqueke, Apr 01 2002 If the problem is one of interference versus range, multiple antennas and a differentiation circuit could be of use. Just (automatically) pick the antenna that's getting the best reception. Does no good if none of the antennas are getting good reception, though.-- phoenix, Apr 01 2002 Not too long ago, I read a bit in the technology section of the local newspaper and it said that like upcoming versions of Tivo and ReplayTV, the new digital radios will will keep a listening history file and automatically search for programs that may interest the listener.-- 1kester, Apr 02 2002 RDS EON isn't *quite* like this. It retunes from a low-signal relay to a higher-signal relay of the same station (UK FM stations typically have four or more frequencies), or from low- to high- of the same program type, but not necessarily to a different station carrying the same report. It's probably not an issue in UK, because any report worthy of more than local broadcast will be on national stations.-- angel, Apr 02 2002 Get yourself a 1956 Cadillac with a Superheterodyne tube radio.-- entremanure, Apr 03 2002 <<I'm sorry but if you were listening to a Red Sox game you have far larger problems than radio reception....>>
Hope Springs Eternal
Boston Red Sox, 1918 World Champions-- dandr, Apr 03 2002 I like this idea, especially if it is sold as a -thing-, and not as a subscription. I'm very old fashioned. I like things.-- LoriZ, Apr 04 2002 random, halfbakery