So noticed it won't let you use the included FM radio without headphones plugged in as they act as an aerial. Was wondering from people who use headphones more often, do you find it improves data rrcrption az well?
No, completely unconnected aerial. The data/phone aerial(s) are inside, there is no FM aerial, the wire of the phones becomes the aerial.
Adding to that - not all headphones will just work as FM aerial. You will need to use the default HTC headset as far as I know to get a signal.
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EDIT: found out if you put in a regular 3.5mm headphone, the FM transmitter should also work guess you can do it any way you want!
so let me get this right, if you get a 3.5mm jack off some headphones, i can plug that in and the radio will work?
jonyid said:
so let me get this right, if you get a 3.5mm jack off some headphones, i can plug that in and the radio will work?
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Yeah, I just tried it on a Sony headset and an ipod headphone set and they both triggered the FM to work. I think the FM can be triggered with software to work but the reception will be crappy without extra wire coming out to catch the signal.
Great experiment ! Easy solution ! Can now uninstall all internet-radio apps and get my local radio station w/o headset.
Tx !
Personally I think it's just a gimmic to buy HTC's headset, don't fall for it guys! Use your own equipment that will sound better and fit more comfortably!
I could only pick up a couple of local stations like this,and we have a huge transmitter only a few miles away.
Went back to a full length set of headphones and did a rescan
and they were all back....
NW UK based.
The whole wire acts like an antenna. There is no dedicated antenna for FM. That's how FM works since it's short range and hig frequency unlike the older AM low freq signals which need a more specialised antenna.
For good FM reception, a good wire will suffice.
Nice i'll give it a try, but first thing i would like to know is how did you get your sound so high, been lookin every ware for a cab file or a hack, any info would be GR8
I have cause to use the FM radio but listen with a bluetooth A2DP headset. The bluetooth headset says it is connected for media and phone audio. However, the FM radio audio does not get redirected. How do I enable this? Is there an alternate FM radio app that will direct the sound to the bluetooth headset?
And before you guys jump on it, yes in fact there is a cable attached to the headphone jack for antenna. I just don't want to have to use a wired headphone to listen.
little background:
I like to listen to a particular radio station while I ride my bike. I also like to use my phone's GPS feature with a bicycle computer app while it is mounted to the stem on the bike. So it is terribly inconvenient to have a cable running from my ears to the phone while it is mounted on the bike. I built an antenna cable for the phone that connects to the stem cap bolt on the bike, using the bike's steel fork as an antenna. It works brilliantly with the phone's FM radio set to "Speaker", but when you set it to "headset", it doesn't redirect the sound to the bluetooth headset.
It seems too me that the phone is thinking (yes, thinking lol) that it has a headset plugged in and is trying too out put the audio via the headphone port... I kind of know how you feel because wires while riding a bike is quite cumbersome. It clearly seems like an overlooked problem, but most definitely can be fixed via software. I've been looking at bluetooth headsets for a while now, and this seems relavant to my interests... Good luck...
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
This will probably sound a bit dumb, but here goes... Since Bluetooth utilizes FM frequencies, is it possible with the correct app to use your Bluetooth system as an FM tuner? Basically, is there or is it possible to create a program that enable a user to pick up FM radio station broadcasts with his Bluetooth reciever, and listen to them? In that same vein, is it possible to use the built-in Bluetooth as an FM transmitter, to transmit audio streams at frequencies that can then be picked up by a car radio, or boombox? this would eliminate the need to purchase an unreliable FM dongle, or adapter cable if you wanted to hear your device's music on your car stereo.
Unit ZER0 said:
This will probably sound a bit dumb, but here goes... Since Bluetooth utilizes FM frequencies, is it possible with the correct app to use your Bluetooth system as an FM tuner? Basically, is there or is it possible to create a program that enable a user to pick up FM radio station broadcasts with his Bluetooth reciever, and listen to them? In that same vein, is it possible to use the built-in Bluetooth as an FM transmitter, to transmit audio streams at frequencies that can then be picked up by a car radio, or boombox? this would eliminate the need to purchase an unreliable FM dongle, or adapter cable if you wanted to hear your device's music on your car stereo.
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where did you hear that it utilizes fm frequencies? bluetooth operates at 2.4ghz like wi-fi (but different protocols).... when someone says that a device has a bluetooth/cellular/wi-fi radio, they dont mean it has anything to do with am or fm unless specifically said (ie; am-fm radio).. but, why would you even bother asking that question anyway? if such a thing was even remotely possible you would surely have heard about it and seen products for it all over the place, hell, a simple search on ebay would turn up thousands of devices if they existed...
Even if it were FM, the BT receiver would still require a tuner chip to bring in the different frequencies.
As you know the Surround has a built in FM radio receiver. If you open it with out earphones plugged in it will not open until you plug in headphones that function as an antenna. However, after you plug in headphones, if you tap and hold the current frequency it gives you the option to turn on the internal speakers. Also, after the radio picks up the station info, you can add it to your favorties list and it will appear in your list by hitting the *. I would like to fashion an antenna to plug in using the 3.5mm jack and will post when I figure out what materials to use although you can cut off the ends of an old non working earphones and roll it up into a circle..that may work sufficiently for strong stations.
I would use your idea to use a set of old headphones or cheap headphones. Seems like the simplest solution.
Hello to everybody,
I'm looking for a smartwatch that could be paired with a couple of bluetooth earphones, acting as music player and that could works without a phone.
I found a lot of cheap device that has a TF (microsd) slot and that could be paired with bluetooth earphones, and this is good.
But I would like to have also Radio FM and I was unable to find a device that could work with bluetooth earphones because all the devices I found with radio FM needs to have earphones jack inserted because they act as antenna.
So I started looking for a device that could run app without a phone, something like "tune in radio", that streams music via data connection, but I'm not sure if someone has already developed something similar, I've seen that Samsung has created the Gear S that has a 3G and wifi connection but I'm not sure of what are its capabilities, if it could work alone (without a phone) for the task I need.
Does anybody knows if there's something that could fit my needs? (or mp3 stand alone with radio FM via bluetooth or mp3 with undependent streaming radio app)
If I could throw a bone...
I carry an iPod Nano 6G. Relatively cheap, doesn't have Bluetooth, but it has been my goto for music. I paid $10 for a stainless steel band, it has a week battery life typically, and its just a good device overall. If you're willing to compromise Bluetooth, it can't break the bank.
Sent from my 306SH using Tapatalk
Thank you, but I can't give up bluetooth, Nano was one of my first choice but it doesn't fit some of my requirements.
Probably some other little device like this small phone could be good. Does anybody knows it?
Basically any MTK6260 based smartwatch will do.
I listen to music at work straight from my GT08. Either via bt heaphones or via the sound system since it has a bluetooth receiver.
Yes but it also works with fm radio ?
All the reseller I contacted told me that in order to listen fm radio I have to plug earphones into the 3.5mm hole because earphones works as antenna.
Did you try to do it without
well, best I can think of is an actual headphone with built-in FM radio, kind of like the Sony MW1 - or if you prefer, there's sport-headphones with all kinds of options (SD card, FM radio, etc.) which don't require any kind of additional device/bluetooth/etc. and are pretty much just headphones with a wire between the two. Example: Sport Wireless+ by Jabra has FM radio.
problem is, that for FM radio you will always require SOME kind of antenna - if I remember correctly it has something to do with the wavelength of FM and needing a certain minimum antenna length to pick up the signal. In cases with no cable (e.g. big headphones (over-ear)), the antenna is built into the frame, while in-ear headphones require some kind of cable/wire (even if it's the one connecting the two headphones) to function as antenna.
I agree with you but I just received a pair of Plantronics beatfit bluetooth earphones, that are superbs in terms of quality, but that lack the embedded radio FM as Jabra ones!
About the antenna, it's strange, because I think that if it's possible to integrate it inside a couple of bluetooth earphones it should be possible to do the same also in an mp3 player or in a smartwatch, don't you think?
Caio said:
I agree with you but I just received a pair of Plantronics beatfit bluetooth earphones, that are superbs in terms of quality, but that lack the embedded radio FM as Jabra ones!
About the antenna, it's strange, because I think that if it's possible to integrate it inside a couple of bluetooth earphones it should be possible to do the same also in an mp3 player or in a smartwatch, don't you think?
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Problem is basically that the shorter the antenna (compared to the actual wavelength) the worse the signal (more or less, google "FM antenna length" - or anything similar - for the specifics involved). And considering that FM has MUCH larger wavelength than any other frequency used in a phone (iirc BT is more or less 12cm, FM is 3m), having an antenna small enough to fit in a watch or phone COULD work, but the signal would be really bad - so you'd have to make the receiver REALLY sensitive and probably use quite a bit of power.
Kinda like the difference between turning on a world clock radio with & without extending the antenna - it'll "work" with the antenna collapsed (and maybe even pick up a station or two if you're lucky), but it'll work much better with the antenna extended.
FYI: The larger the wavelength (and thus lower the frequency), the further the signal travels & less interference from objects in between - reason why in the middle of nowhere between trees and mountains you'll pick up an AM (approx. 1kHz, 100+m wavelength) signal much better than an FM signal (approx. 98kHz, 3m wavelength). Same reason as to why the lower mobile bands (700-800) are more suited for large area coverage than teh higher frequency ones (2100, etc.).
NOTE: You'll have to forgive me for any (probable) errors in specific numbers - it's been a LOT of years since I last used/checked them
addendum...
Ok, apparently a full-length set of headphones (to some extent) isn't even needed nowadays - basically phone makers being lazy. Check this thread over @ androidcentral.com about someone getting the radio (not through BT though) working by sticking a cut-off 3.5mm jack stub (of an old pair of headphones).
No test on how WELL it receives various stations, but at least something is picked up... now all you need to do is modify the ROM so it'll allow BT broadcast even with a 3.5mm jack plugged in :silly:
Or maybe (as suggested in the thread), plugging in a standalone BT transmitter into teh 3.5mm jack?