How does a BMW car radio tune to GPS FM transmitter frequency?

snipped-for-privacy@h-gee.co.uk () wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

US FM broadcast channels are 200kHz apart.

US AM broadcast channels are 10kHz apart.

Reply to
Bert Hyman
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European MW (AM) uses 9 kHz spacing and most European FM tuners use

50kHz FM steps, or even 25kHz.

One car stereo I had could be user configured for either US or European channel assignment.

Reply to
Thomas Tornblom

By pressing M that should disable the scan feature. Pressing the arrow button one should move the frequency display one increment only, i.e. 970 to 980 but that is all. You have to push it each time to move the display ahead one increment. It won't automatically tune to an empty frequency or channel.

Reply to
John S.

I was thinking along the same lines, but a lot of cheaper decks I've seen (as well as the stock one in my '03 MPV) will seek by default, or go manual if you hold down the tuning button for more than a second - ie. press it briefly, it will go to the next available station; hold it down, and it will stop as soon as you release it and operate in "manual" tuning until you leave it alone for 10-15 seconds.

Reply to
Matt Ion

Most old car radios i fooled with tuned the coils instead of the capacitors. The tuning mechanism moved ferrite slugs in and out of the coils, while the caps were fixed. Less hassles with failures from dust that way.

If it's new it's built more cheaply. The old radios were full of moving parts assembled by hand and components soldered together by hand. lots of labour. When digital electronics came up with synthesized tuning, it al came down to a few microchips installed on a board, and a few switches, often soldered to the same board, and all of it done by robotic machinery. The insides of those chips and the displays are all made using photographic techniques. The whole thing is probably assembled without anyone touching it. Translates into inexpensive, but because it looks hi-tech they can charge more for it. If they were to go back to building the old radios, we couldn't afford them. Some of those old car radios would pull in stations from terrific distances. The new ones I've had get faint as soon as I get out of sight of the station.

Dan

Reply to
Dan_Thomas_nospam

Some car radios has local/ "DX" button. If you scan in local mode you don't get the weak stations like the Garmin FM transmitter.

.......... Per.

Reply to
Per

Marian, someone had your solution about 20 posts back:

  1. Put the transmitter on the desired channel, and place it near the antenna so the radio will find the new channel.

  1. Use the scan feature that your radio seems to be stuck on, and let the radio find the transmitter.

  2. Once you find a frequency that is clear and usable, lock it in as a preset on the radio.
Reply to
FloydinTampa

I'm a Boomer that doesn't have a Bimmer or a Beemer. It's a Bummer.

Dan

Reply to
Dan_Thomas_nospam

Just let the garmin transmit first. At this point the signal should indicate to your radio not to skip this location since there is a signal.

Reply to
Raoul Watson

Much later than that in the UK - it was an 'extra' on my '92 E34. To allow consumer choice, 'they' say...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

And sadly, now you can't order them WITHOUT oodles of crappy electronic accessories.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

I think that the 300 series was the beginning of the end of BMWs as "pure" driver's cars.

I suppose the sign that they were finished with that market was when they dropped the "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan.

Reply to
Bert Hyman

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