I'm not sure if this is the right group, I really hope it is. If it's
not, please excuse my post as a genuine error.

I would greatly appreciate some basic help on American vs. European FM
frequency.

There's this car radio I want to purchase. It's available in Europe,
but not yet in the United States. I have only a window of time to get
it installed, so I'm thinking about the European model. I will use
this radio solely in the US.

My question: Is there any difference between European and US radio
frequencies? I wouldn't think so, since I think I remember it being the
same. But would the two units really function any differently in terms
of reception or tuning - meaning, would the European car radio model
pick up all US FM (& AM?) stations? I'm specifically looking at:

The Sony MEX-R1 in Europe:
http://www.sony.co.uk/PageView.do?s...chnicalFeatures

The Sony MEX-R5 the US:
http://www.cardomain.com/item/SONMEXR5?ref=prgr


These SEEM to be the same products, they definitely look the same. The
tech specs on the Euopean version's radio is:

-FM Tuner
Tuner Type SSIR-EXA
ABC (Automatic Bandwidth Control) YES
BTM (Best Tuning Memory) YES
RDS EON YES

-Tuner Station Presets
FM 18
MW 6
LW 6

Thanks very much for any info!!

The tuning increments may be different.
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/r...fferences.html

-Brian

wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm not sure if this is the right group, I really hope it is. If it's
not, please excuse my post as a genuine error.

I would greatly appreciate some basic help on American vs. European FM
frequency.

There's this car radio I want to purchase. It's available in Europe,
but not yet in the United States. I have only a window of time to get
it installed, so I'm thinking about the European model. I will use
this radio solely in the US.

My question: Is there any difference between European and US radio
frequencies? I wouldn't think so, since I think I remember it being the
same. But would the two units really function any differently in terms
of reception or tuning - meaning, would the European car radio model
pick up all US FM (& AM?) stations? I'm specifically looking at:

Many aftermarket car stereos have a way to set the tuning increment to
either 10Khz/200KHz or 9KHz/50KHz setting.. If this is one of them, it will
say so in the manual.

Looking now at the specifications on this unit... you don't want to buy it.
If you want a built in DVD/video player, you will need to wait until the US
version comes out. The European model is a Region 2/PAL DVD player.

As for the FM tuner, that would be no problem at all. It is fully compatible
with US FM frequencies. The AM however is on 9 KHz increments, so most AM
stations would not be tunable.

Wow, thank you SO much for the info, I really appreciate it. So my
best bet then is to wait until the US version comes out. If the US one
doesn't support MP3s on DVDs (which I think it will, it seems like the
same unit), I can always buy the European model. I'm really getting
this unit for the MP3 on DVD capability anyway, that's my primary
purpose.

Thanks a ton for the help, it's definitely helped me out.

Oh great, more ways for the driver to be distracted.

Hey people, this isn't 2030, cars don't drive themselves yet, you can't
watch DVD's while driving.


(Then again, in 2000 weren't we supposed to have flying cars?)

Also, don't forget that the European model will have a 50uS deemphasis
characteristic for the FM range vs the 75uS characteristic for the North
American model. The result is that the European model will have a slightly
more trebly sound when used in the US.

Pete

"Conan Ford" wrote in message
3.159...
Oh great, more ways for the driver to be distracted.

Hey people, this isn't 2030, cars don't drive themselves yet, you can't
watch DVD's while driving.


(Then again, in 2000 weren't we supposed to have flying cars?)

Pete KE9OA wrote:

Also, don't forget that the European model will have a 50uS deemphasis
characteristic for the FM range vs the 75uS characteristic for the
North
American model. The result is that the European model will have a
slightly
more trebly sound when used in the US.
----------------------------
In a Sony tuner I have when you switch from 100K to 50 k
(and 9K to 10) tuning steps(o r the reverse) it also changes
the deemphasis.

Terry