[BC] Radio stations on low band VHF channels...

[Mark Humphrey]

It's somewhat encouraging to see that the major chip manufacturers
already intend to supply products that cover the entire 76-108 MHz
range.

Broadcom (leading manufacturer of WiFi chips) recently announced the
BCM4325, which will be used in handsets and other portable devices.
It combines WiFi, Bluetooth and a 76-108 MHz stereo FM receiver with
RDS/RBDS (but no HD) in a single package, designed for low power
consumption:
http://www.broadcom.com/collateral/pb/4325-PB00-R.pdf

Texas Instruments is responding with the BL6450, which has similar features:
http://focus.ti.com/pdfs/wtbu/ti_bluelink_7.pdf

Products like the new Apple iPhone will be based on chips of this
type; five years from now there will be tens of millions of these
units in use.  The only "missing component" seems to be common sense
from our regulators in Washington.

Mark

On 3/22/07, Peter Moncure <pmoncure at radiosoft.com> wrote:
>
> >> I seem to recall that FM in Japan starts at 72 mHz. and goes to just over
> >> 100 mHz.
> Last time I was there (last May) it ran from 76 to 108 on most radios,
> but there wasn't anything on them past 90.  Wiki seems to agree:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_band#Japanese_bandplan
>