How Vehicle Audio Works
AM and FM radio signals are broadcast
from transmitter towers located around
your city. They are intercepted by the
radio antenna on your vehicle. This signal
is then processed by the radio and sent
to your vehicle speakers.
When a strong radio signal has reached
your vehicle, the precise engineering of
your audio system ensures the best pos-
sible quality reproduction. However, in
some cases the signal coming to your
vehicle may not be strong and clear.
This can be due to factors, such as the
distance from the radio station, close-
ness of other strong radio stations or the
presence of buildings, bridges or other
large obstructions in the area.
AM broadcasts can be received at
greater distances than FM broadcasts.
This is because AM radio waves are
transmitted at low frequencies. These
long distance, low frequency radio waves
can follow the curvature of the earth
rather than travelling straight. In addition,
they curve around obstructions resulting
in better signal coverage.
FM broadcasts are transmitted at high
frequencies and do not bend to follow the
earth's surface. Because of this, FM
broadcasts generally begin to fade within
short distances from the station. Also,
FM signals are easily affected by build-
ings, mountains, and obstructions. This
can lead to undesirable or unpleasant
listening conditions which might lead you
to believe a problem exists with your
radio. The following conditions are nor-
mal and do not indicate radio trouble:
4-5
Multimedia System
4
JBM001
FM reception
JBM002
AM reception
JBM003
FM radio station
