[_kevin]

Is it that hard to include the receiving circuitry for both bands?

[JoshuaZ]

No, but I think Apple has its reasons.

[_kevin]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[chabig]

Originally Posted by _kevin

Is it that hard to include the receiving circuitry for both bands?

It may be. Search Google for "one chip fm radio" and you get lots of results. But search for "one chip am radio" and nothing relevant pops up.

Engineering reasons the AM radio might not be practical include:
1. Higher power consumption?
2. Larger chip size if you include both AM and FM
3. AM is lower frequency than FM so antennas need to be larger
4. AM demodulation might not lend itself to an IC solution
5. Noise susceptibility

Of course, it could just be marketing.

Chris

[Krypton]

You have to have separate chips for each, but more importantly AM needs it's own dedicated antenna - you can't simply use the earphone cord as FM receivers do.

Thus, there probably wasn't room for the AM antenna.

[ghporter]

The frequency range for AM broadcast is so much lower than FM broadcast that you'd need a fairly bulky antenna to get anything. The low end of the AM band is about 560 kilohertz where FM starts around 88 Megahertz. Antenna size is inversely proportional to frequency, so an antenna that can handle 560 kHz would be roughly (very roughly) 160 times as long as one that can handle 88 MHz. In little portable AM receivers, the antenna is a ferrite slab with a ton of fine-gage wire wound around it. Where might one put such a thing in anything that goes with an iPod? Obviously you can't.

Demodulating AM is easy-but as chabig points out, it doesn't lend itself to an IC solution. All it takes is a diode and some filtering components. But the filtering components, resistors and capacitors, must be of such values that it isn't practical to include them on an IC. And as he says, AM is very susceptible to electromagnetic noise-anything from flourescent lamps to large electric motors to a badly filtered automobile alternator can completely destroy AM reception on just about any receiver.

Besides, what's on AM that's worth adding that function to an iPod accessory?

[chabig]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Besides, what's on AM that's worth adding that function to an iPod accessory?

I think a lot of people would want to listen to talk radio.

Chris

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by chabig

I think a lot of people would want to listen to talk radio.

Chris

Good point. I usually don't have the time (or the blood pressure control) to listen to talk radio, so that didn't occur to me.

[_kevin]

Thanks for all the information. I hadn't considered the electronic necessities outside of the IC (i.e. the antenna).

And yes - I listen to a lot of talk/news radio. Most of those stations in my market are on AM. I would love to have that capability on my iPod.

[iMacfan]

May I suggest that Podcasting seems to be more and more taking over the space which talk radio once inhabited?

[quesera]

Spurs broadcasts are on AM, definitely worth listening to when we can't make the game.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by iMacfan

May I suggest that Podcasting seems to be more and more taking over the space which talk radio once inhabited?

Exactly.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by quesera

Spurs broadcasts are on AM, definitely worth listening to when we can't make the game.

You're not at the AT&T Center (or in front of a TV) when the Spurs are playing? Heresy!!!

[Stingrey]

Some of us work late, man :)

[quesera]

Some of us are poor teachers. Still, we got a ten game package with our game 7 tickets last year and we've supplemented it with other games. Sadly, I think we've seen all the losses at the SBC/at&t center this season.

[ghporter]

Ouch, quesera! That hurts!

Anyway, for AM stuff, I'd just get an inexpensive AM radio for important radio shows. The audio quality you can get with AM is usually so lousy (it seems that nobody cares to do anything to keep their broadcast sound clean anymore) that running through the iPod's audio system is like dressing a pig in a silk dress.

[bourgeoisie]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Ouch, quesera! That hurts!

Anyway, for AM stuff, I'd just get an inexpensive AM radio for important radio shows. The audio quality you can get with AM is usually so lousy (it seems that nobody cares to do anything to keep their broadcast sound clean anymore) that running through the iPod's audio system is like dressing a pig in a silk dress.

great analogy

[jtaylr77]

I tried and purchased Audio Hijack and use it to automatically launch and record Talk radio programs on AM/FM. It then dumps it in my iTunes for sync. If you search for your program you can always fine a radio station who broadcast live online and thats where I record it from. Not bad if you don't mind being a day behind.