Some Car Radios In Seattle Are Stuck On KUOW 94.9!

[SomeRadioGuy]

This is kinda funny…… and from my my POV, even more so when one local repair shop tech blames it on the radio station switching to 5G!!


You’re listening to KUOW … like it or not: Mysterious glitch has Mazda drivers stuck on public radio

 

[192khz]

Is it possible the station has their TA announcement on?

 

[Kelly A]

Is it possible the station has their TA announcement on?

I think it may have been KUOW sent a TA in their PI string within RDS. Kind of surprised that only Mazda radios were affected.

 

[awsherrill]

Mazda is blaming it on the transmission of "image files with no extension", presumably as part of data transmitted via HD-Radio.

 

[Kelly A]

Mazda is blaming it on the transmission of "image files with no extension", presumably as part of data transmitted via HD-Radio.

Image files are indeed via the HD PAD packets, but not sure what they mean by 'no extension'. The image is sent via with a header string, and the file has what amounts to a stop (end) bit. Even if no stop bit was sent to indicate end of the image file, worst case is the following image file wouldn't populate. Unless somehow Mazda was holding the channel until the PAD stop bit was received? In that instance, I suppose if the PAD stop bit didn't show up in the radio, then the radio might not let you tune away. That wouldn't have been a force-tuned situation, but more of a locked on the station selected-situation.

 

[kevtronics]

Weren't there some tunnels which used leaky coax and a spread-spectrum transmitter so that no matter which channel your radio was tuned to, you'd be able to hear them broadcast traffic announcements and other emergency messages?

 

[Kelly A]

Weren't there some tunnels which used leaky coax and a spread-spectrum transmitter so that no matter which channel your radio was tuned to, you'd be able to hear them broadcast traffic announcements and other emergency messages?

Yes in the I-90 tunnel on the Seattle side of the I-90 Floating Bridge.