Thread: FM CF card

well that was better than my first and most other peoples first post about how they are newbie and hello and please plan my carputer project for me

MediaCar is kinda on hold.... you may have better luck getting it integrated into frodoplayer. *hint* if you want things integrated into a front end then buy the programmer the hardware

Originally Posted by Twopoint

I have been trying to find something to use as a FM radio for my CarPC. I had most of it planned out and aquired. but I ran acrossed these Compact Flash radios and figured I would give them a try. both said they were support WinXP
I used a CF\PCMCIA adapter in my laptop

iBiz - turns out it is an utter waste of time and money, will only work in a PDA and you have to have the PDA in a cradle. sound on it sucks

Ambicom -loaded easily from CD, came with a patch cord to route the sound out of the CF radio into the input jack. looks like the cord is also used as the antenna (will have to figure out how to connect the external antenna). sound is very clear and no static,

the software\drivers out of the box, would not let me save the stations.
reloaded from web site- seems to have solved the problem.

so anybody used one of these yet? and will MediaCar see them? better then nothing I guess

I have been desperately seeking FM radio card or something for my car PC build - this is the answer to my prayers! Please let me know where to get hold of such a CF card!! Probably others would also like to try them out and my guess is that frodobaggins would like to include support for such cards in his player!? Or perhaps it is as easy as lauching the probably included radio software from Frodo Player?

Well, why wait

I did a and found some interesting links to several CF based FM radios and tests of some of them.

First, a test of the Ambicom FM radio (XP compatible): http://www.extremereviews.net/data.p...=1&type=review

A problem with this CF based FM radio seems to be:

Reception inside the building and in the car was just unacceptable, but that’s why you have radios in your homes and in your car

Some other similar CF based FM radios (some duplicates, but what the hell ):

http://radio.about.com/b/a/037889.htm
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=FM201
http://www.ibizpda.com/pocketradio.html
http://www.widget.co.uk/asp/product....rchFor=&PT_ID=

Both SDIO and CF based Fm radio cards can of cource be put in an PCMCIA adapter if you do not have a CF or SDIO slot (some laptops?).

My guess is that with either a CF based or SDIO based FM radio, the reception is poor inside a car without having the possibility to connect an external antenna. So then we're back to PCI based TV cards with FM radio since there seems to be no pure USB FM radio on the market (only vapour-ware or TV cards with FM radio )... advantage: you can connect an external antenna and have acceptable radio signal inside the car...? I guess, since I have not yet built my car PC

http://www.averm.co.uk/avermedia/pro..._usbradio.html

Originally Posted by HybridMike

http://www.averm.co.uk/avermedia/pro..._usbradio.html

Yeah, right, as if that littlu sucker will do it Well, I'm curious to see what your test results show - have just downloaded your alpha 3 release of MMC, so I probably have enough to worry about.

PS: Why isn't there anyone making a decent car radio in a small box having an external antenna input and USB connection for whatever PC you have? I would love to have one at home as well instead of having to buy a TV card with radio on it...

Originally Posted by Smukkasen

PS: Why isn't there anyone making a decent car radio in a small box having an external antenna input and USB connection for whatever PC you have?

No kidding, how hard can it be? Someone make a production run

Yeah, right, as if that littlu sucker will do it Well, I'm curious to see what your test results show

What, you dont think those CF and SDIO FM radios are little suckers too?? they are just as small, if not smaller, and probably have the same components...

Im very impressed with it so far, It comes with an external antenna thats like 7ft long, we also are researching a way we can tap into the oem antenna and modify these without losing any reception. we patched the radios output through a RTA (Real Time Analyzer) and found it has an excellent frequency response....

PS: Why isn't there anyone making a decent car radio in a small box having an external antenna input and USB connection for whatever PC you have? I would love to have one at home as well instead of having to buy a TV card with radio on it...

Supply and Demand there has been no need for a product like that up until recently, manufactuers see it like this, if you are at a desktop then you would want both television and radio....im sure the components to do both are easily found as well, since 99% of the hardware have both Tuners built in to them

I contacted Ambicom to see it there was anyway to connect an external anntena, he suggested I either weld the antenna to the case . . .or buy a dlink usb radio. they have no interest in attempting to support us.

so use it . . . but don't expect support

Originally Posted by Twopoint

I contacted Ambicom to see it there was anyway to connect an external anntena, he suggested I either weld the antenna to the case . . .or buy a dlink usb radio. they have no interest in attempting to support us.

so use it . . . but don't expect support

Did you tell them to **** OFF ?