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From: Jan Panteltje <alien@comet.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to
 passing
Date: Thu, 02 May 2024 12:35:31 GMT
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On a sunny day (Thu, 2 May 2024 12:20:53 +0100) it happened Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote in <v0vsuq$3qneh$1@dont-email.me>:

>On 02/05/2024 06:24, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>> AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing
>>   https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/am-radio-is-a-lifeline-lawmakers-say-tech-and-auto-industries-disagree/
>> A recent test of the emergency alert system found only 1 percent got it via AM.
>
>This is one of those bonkers US lawmakers laws. I expect the geriatric 
>senator proposing it has a crystal set manufacturer in his state.
>
>They will be demanding compulsory use of semaphore next.
>
>> Strange. most is FM these days, or digital?
>
>Most in car radios are generally FM or today DAB/FM. AM never really got 
>on well with the spark transmitter under the bonnet of most petrol cars. 
>When I worked in radio astronomy all of our cars were doctored by the 
>local RF electronics guru to help suppress vehicle RFI on site. That had 
>the side effect of making AM radio much more useful.
>
>> Something to do with Soros buying radio stations ;-) ?
>
>More likely the antediluvian politicians wanting stone age technology.
>
>To some extent they *DO* have a point for AM/FM analogue vs DAB digital.
>
>A typical DAB radio in an emergency situation with no mains power will 
>last about 8 hours on a full set of batteries. A basic AM/FM radio will 
>last for about a month used 8 hours a day under those conditions.

I have a simple Tecsun PL360 AM FM radio,
measure about 60 mA at 4.2V with 3 1900 mAh Eneloop batteries in series
So 1900 / 60 makes about 31.6 hours... 
With volume low.
My big Tecsun PL600 AM / FM / SSB shortwave / mediumwave / longwave radio runs on 4 1900 mAh Eneloop cells
and draws about 47 mA with backlight off.
So that makes 1900 / 47 is about  40.4 hours.
A month is a bit longer...
 But on AM medium wave you could use a crystal radio and that would last forever...
 
I have some other small rechargeable FM radios from ebay, gave one away to somebody for her kids a while back.
Maybe those use less power, but have a lot less battery capacity, last a few hours at most on a charge.