AM radio for iPod?

March 26, 2006 / Filed under: Apple, Technology

I’m currently looking for an AM radio connector, for my iPod, so I can listen to the Cubs broadcasts, during the day.

Rather than purchasing a separate AM/FM walkman, I’d like to just use my iPod, so I don’t have to carry another gadget around.

It turns out support for AM radio, on the iPod, is not yet available. What gives?

Apple has the iPod Radio Remote, but it’s for FM only. Even if it was for AM, why would I want to pay $50 for a technology that’s 100 years old? see thread.

Sure, I could buy a cheap AM radio for $2, but that’s still another device to carry around.

Sure, I could also just listen to broadcasts over the web, but that’s not what I want. I want to hear Ron Santo and Pat Hughes - "the voice of the Cubs." Why would I want to hear some biased announcers, who don’t know the Cubs at all? Yuck.

Seems AM radio is fading out, with today’s modern devices, but I don’t think it should.

Comments/Mentions

# Josh at 3/26/2006 1:16 pm cst

It’s a technical issue to do with different wavelengths. AM radio requires much larger aerials than FM does, because it’s got a longer wavelength. With FM, you can get away with a tight coil -- portable AM radios, on the other hand, generally rely on the headphone lead to double as a longer aerial.

Obviously this doesn’t fit with the iPod’s modular architecture very well... few extensions are utilise access to the headphone port (save a few for input/recording?), and none I’m aware of have a physical path to it.

# Matthom at 3/26/2006 3:34 pm cst

Good points... Guess I’m stuck with an age-old walkman.

# will at 9/25/2006 11:07 pm cst

Umm... Actually the remote/FM tuner made by apple has direct access to the headphone lead.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/1.RSLID?mco=EF887A85

# bniza at 3/5/2007 2:24 pm cst

the only one i know of is tovoli. i had one for the giants games and it worked great...rechargeable ,weatherproof,ipod useable,good speaker and good radio..kinda expensive@150-170.. but worth it..

# Cooper Grahan at 1/5/2008 8:51 am cst

You want to listen to the Cubs? In God's name, what for? Why don't you just beat yourself with a hose instead? Or lie down on the railroad tracks? Or donate your life's savings to the Tribune Corporation? Seriously, the Cubs are pathetic in every way.

# Cooper Grahan at 1/5/2008 8:52 am cst

You want to listen to the Cubs? In God's name, what for? Why don't you just beat yourself with a hose instead? Or lie down on the railroad tracks? Or donate your life's savings to the Tribune Corporation? Seriously, the Cubs are pathetic in every way.

# D at 11/9/2008 12:58 am cst

I've been looking for the same thing for my fiancee for exactly the same reasons! I know what you mean about wanting to hear the game with our usual guys on AM--that's the only way to go.

# Bryan at 1/21/2010 10:36 pm cst

Are you guys serious? (By the way - not knocking anyone on this thread - just hope that someone at Apple is reading). Thirty years ago I had an AM radio on my bicycle that was the size of a Nano - including the speaker. It got great reception as long as a nine year old boy could properly adjust the analog dial. (when done properly I could get better reception than my Fathers car).

Forget who's baseball team is better. I use AM to listen to; the news, weather, talk radio, get local games (all sports - including high school) and, when I am traveling, I use satellite radio for the same. It would be really great to be able have that same extension from my iPod/iPhone, especially when I am mowing the lawn, riding my motorcycle, or just hanging out in the back yard.

As someone in the technology industry, I find it remarkable that something like an iPod can't be backwards compatible with such a staple as AM radio. Especially given the simplicity versus FM modulation, Bluetooth, video transfer, etc., etc., etc.