New iPod Nano (w/ FM Radio)

[jchabalk]

I recently picked up a new ipod nano which now has a built-in FM radio. I took a look around both on the iPod menus themselves and also on the filesystem of the iPod to see if the bands were defined in a preferences file. I could not find one..

I don't know what the radio is capable of but i've gotta think that at least listening on 2m ham bands would be a trivial thing if the frequency ranges were able to be modified.

I'm sure there's a lot more to it than an application but that thing would make an excellent portable scanner. We just need to convince the apple product managers that they could sell millions of apple scanners. i'm sure uniden et al would be interested in that as well

Here are the frequency ranges that the radio in the nano is capable of reading. It also reads RDS data:

Radio region Radio frequency specifications
Americas 87.5—107.9 MHz / ± 200 kHz
Asia 87.5—108.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz
Australia 87.5—107.9 MHz / ± 200 kHz
Europe 87.5—108.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz
Japan 76.0—90.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz

[scottaschultz]

Originally Posted by jchabalk

We just need to convince the apple product managers that they could sell millions of apple scanners.

I hate to burst your bubble and while I think the new iPod Nano is pretty cool, I think you are being a little optimistic in your numbers. According the the AHØA website, there are only 678,210 licensed amateur radio operators in the US as of November 1, 2009. At the very best, maybe half are even active.

[jchabalk]

heh, i was (mostly) being optimistic

it'd be cool though if its band-plan could be easily modified. I live in a city and spend a good amount of time walking around (2-3 miles or so every day going to and coming from work). I don't listen to much FM broadcast but being able to scan some of the HAM bands would be nice to be able to do of it was easy.

realistically if something like this is even on their list i'm sure it's way far down towards the end. right underneath invisible-mode and the anti-gravity feature

[N9JIG]

Originally Posted by jchabalk

I recently picked up a new ipod nano which now has a built-in FM radio. I took a look around both on the iPod menus themselves and also on the filesystem of the iPod to see if the bands were defined in a preferences file. I could not find one..

I don't know what the radio is capable of but i've gotta think that at least listening on 2m ham bands would be a trivial thing if the frequency ranges were able to be modified.

I'm sure there's a lot more to it than an application but that thing would make an excellent portable scanner. We just need to convince the apple product managers that they could sell millions of apple scanners. i'm sure uniden et al would be interested in that as well

Here are the frequency ranges that the radio in the nano is capable of reading. It also reads RDS data:

Radio region Radio frequency specifications
Americas 87.5—107.9 MHz / ± 200 kHz
Asia 87.5—108.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz
Australia 87.5—107.9 MHz / ± 200 kHz
Europe 87.5—108.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz
Japan 76.0—90.0 MHz / ± 100 kHz

Even if the frequency ranges could be altered the step sizes and modulation modes would also need to be changed. It is likely to that the receiver is extremely tight and unlikely to have any type of acceptable performance outside the 76-108 MHz. designed into it.

Add to that the fact that the receiver's software or firmware would need to be hacked to accommodate any type of other use and you might as well just get a scanner.

I like hacking radios as much as the next guy and have a shelf full of bricks to prove it, but I am afraid that there just won't be enough reward to justify the cost of any major hacks to the iPod receiver.