[scampos1984]

Hello,

I have a stupid question regarding the radio of you guys living in the States.

I'm to buy a professional radio from an american guy, but I don't know if it will work on my European car.

First of all. Do you know if it will work if I neither have Logic7 nor Hi-Fi (here in Europe both are options)?

Second and the stupid one. Here in Europe we listen to the radio in FM or AM bands. Do you have also those bands in America and therefore in the professional radio can I select FM or AM?

Thanks to all

[tintivilus]

FM (don't know about AM) channel spacing is different in Europe than in the US, so you'll need a dealership or an extraordinarily knowledgeable and equipped independent to re-do the region coding on the HU. There may also be coding involved to switch from Hi-Fi (US std) to standard (everywhere else) mode.

[scampos1984]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

FM (don't know about AM) channel spacing is different in Europe than in the US, so you'll need a dealership or an extraordinarily knowledgeable and equipped independent to re-do the region coding on the HU. There may also be coding involved to switch from Hi-Fi (US std) to standard (everywhere else) mode.

OK don't worry about AM, the important is FM.

So I think I won't buy that radio ... what a pity.

Thank you very much

[Gig103]

When I was in Europe with my US-specification car (European Delivery), I was able to pick up EU radio stations on FM. I have Logic 7 and Navigation Professional (iDrive).

Now, this is no guarantee for you, but I wanted to point it out.

[gloster]

Originally Posted by Gig103

When I was in Europe with my US-specification car (European Delivery), I was able to pick up EU radio stations on FM. I have Logic 7 and Navigation Professional (iDrive).

Now, this is no guarantee for you, but I wanted to point it out.

I wonder if that is because radios programmed for the U.S. work in Europe or if they temporarily program European Delivery cars for European radio and then change it when they ship it to the U.S. (or in the U.S. delivery center).

Or...another possibility...maybe all cars leave the factory programmed for Europe radio and are then reprogrammed when they reach their destination country.

Just speculating and chewing on sunflower seeds....don't know nuthin...move along

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by Gig103

When I was in Europe with my US-specification car (European Delivery), I was able to pick up EU radio stations on FM. I have Logic 7 and Navigation Professional (iDrive).

Could you tune stations on even tenths? In the US we only use odd tenths for FM radio (98.1, 98.3, 98.5) but most European countries use all tenths (98.0, 98.1, 98.2...) or just the even tenths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_radi...ound_the_world

[scampos1984]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

Could you tune stations on even tenths? In the US we only use odd tenths for FM radio (98.1, 98.3, 98.5) but most European countries use all tenths (98.0, 98.1, 98.2...) or just the even tenths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_radi...ound_the_world

Yes, here in Spain we use both even and odds

93.9, 94.0, 94.1 ...

So your radio only tunes odd tenths or you don't use the even ones?

[VP Electricity]

Our radios usually only tune odds. Otherwise we get old blue hairs complaining about reception on the evens.

[scampos1984]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Our radios usually only tune odds. Otherwise we get old blue hairs complaining about reception on the evens.

OK thank you, I won't buy it.

What is an "old blue hair"? Maybe it's another silly question

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by scampos1984

OK thank you, I won't buy it.

What is an "old blue hair"? Maybe it's another silly question

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...term=blue+hair

[scampos1984]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...term=blue+hair

Hehehe I can imagine

Here in Spain it's not so usually old (>65) women driving, but there are some

[Technic]

Originally Posted by scampos1984

Hello,

I have a stupid question regarding the radio of you guys living in the States.

I'm to buy a professional radio from an american guy, but I don't know if it will work on my European car.

First of all. Do you know if it will work if I neither have Logic7 nor Hi-Fi (here in Europe both are options)?

Second and the stupid one. Here in Europe we listen to the radio in FM or AM bands. Do you have also those bands in America and therefore in the professional radio can I select FM or AM?

Thanks to all

I think that it will be better for you to find an Euro Professional HU already setup for your particular system, as BMW has changed the way these OEM HU are programmed to interact with each of the different sound systems available. Even changing the AREA (country of operation) is done thru specific programming now, while in the E46 it could have been done manually without any dealer visit.

So if your current OEM system is Business OEM HU with 6 speakers, getting a Professional OEM HU from the USA will require programming not only from the USA to Europe but from HiFi to base system, or from Top HiFi to basic system depending of what sound system that OEM HU came from. I'm not even sure if there is programming to change OEM HU outputs -it is just a guess- as all OEM HU (Business and Professional) have the same P/N respectively regardless of the sound system that they are connected to.

Too much of a hassle, IMO.

[scampos1984]

OK technic. I was waiting for you to give your opinion here, I was sure you were going to do it.

The HU is much more cheaper buying it from the States but I'll buy it here in Spain because of all that things; at the end I'm sure it will be more expensive and a big waste of time.

Thanks to all

Originally Posted by Technic

I think that it will be better for you to find an Euro Professional HU already setup for your particular system, as BMW has changed the way these OEM HU are programmed to interact with each of the different sound systems available. Even changing the AREA (country of operation) is done thru specific programming now, while in the E46 it could have been done manually without any dealer visit.

So if your current OEM system is Business OEM HU with 6 speakers, getting a Professional OEM HU from the USA will require programming not only from the USA to Europe but from HiFi to base system, or from Top HiFi to basic system depending of what sound system that OEM HU came from. I'm not even sure if there is programming to change OEM HU outputs -it is just a guess- as all OEM HU (Business and Professional) have the same P/N respectively regardless of the sound system that they are connected to.

Too much of a hassle, IMO.