[simplesb]

Ok this is for you mechanical guys... any of you know what is built in the Mo that picks up the audio info stream, if that is what its called. Basically some of the radio stations broadcast their names and the songs they are playing and is displayed on the factory stereo. Is there something speicial built in the stereo that picks it up that aftermarket stereo's don't have?

 

[9495]

That would be the RDS or something like that. Some radio stations will broadcast an additional "embedded" signal with that data. Radios that are equiped to handle this information can use it. Several after-market radios now have this as well. Pretty cool, huh?

I obviously don't know all the details. Maybe one of the gurus here can fill in the specifics. But generally speaking that's how it works.

~ Corin

 

[EasternPA]

Here's an article from How Stuff Works.com.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question323.htm

 

[mattsmurano]

Okay, the chevy SUV I was renting the other day shows the station and song info, but My Murano doesn't. Why not? I want that kool feature. It has all the other gizmos in teh stero, including SAT radio text display. Do I need to get it fixed?

 

[simplesb]

The funny thing is I don't know if it is pointed out anywhere in the manual that it does that? I was wondering if my Alpine might have that feature and it just needed to be activated some how. I'm taking this to mean its not a standard out there so far.

 

[9495]

The funny thing is I don't know if it is pointed out anywhere in the manual that it does that? I was wondering if my Alpine might have that feature and it just needed to be activated some how. I'm taking this to mean its not a standard out there so far.

It's part of the "Premium Package" so I guess it's only on the "upgraded" stereo.

~ Corin

 

[mattsmurano]

I wonder if this could be activated by a software update?

My Mercedes ML320 did not have a rainsensor listed in the options, but it looked like it had one on the windshield. So, I know a Mercedes technician, and I had him plug the computer in and tell the ECU that it now had that option. Wa-la! Now the "int" position worked as a rain sensor.... Go figure...

 

[lnichols]

It is very possible that this could be activated via a code, the main problem that I see is that Nissan does have as well known a bus system as VW, BMW, and Mercedes do. I wish that someone would develop something similar to the VAG-COM software I had for my VW Golf. I reprogrammed the locks, cleared check engine lights, and diagnosed sensor malfunctions all with a laptop and a serial cable/converter.

I would think that Nissan has some of this functionallity built in since the 2004 Muranos have more options through the menus to control lighting, and other items. Finding a Nissan tech compitent enough to do anything with it would probably be the biggest problem.

 

[EasternPA]

I thought I had to turn on the RDS display function on my radio, but I couldn't find anything to support that in the manual. I must be confusing it with the ability to turn on the cd text display. Also, looking on page 4-25, I found an interesting quote:

PTY name selection can also be acheived by pressing a preset button.

Initial PTY names are stored in the preset buttons; but these can be changed by pressing the preset button for less than 1.5 seconds while the desired PTY name is on the display.

It always bugged me that my friend's Trailblazer has "traffic" and "info" buttons for quick searches for RDS stations matching those types. According to this, we can turn the 6 presets into RDS station type codes. So I would expect to be able to press PROG/RPT, then 1-6 to pull up any of my 6 favorite station types, and then SEEK or SCAN. Unfortunately, I can't get the presets to recall any RDS station types let alone store new ones. The buttons only seem to act as radio station frequency presets, and not PTY codes as the manual indicates.

Does anyone else actually bother to do any PTY seeks or scans or store the PTYs in the preset buttons? It may not be a "1 button for traffic" solution, but "PROG/RPT, 1, SEEK" is better than "PROG/RPT, keep looking for TRAFFIC and then hit SEEK".

EDIT: PTY means "Program Type", i.e. Station Type -- Rock, Public, Talk, Top40, etc. You can tap the PROG/RPT button, then turn the tuning knob to choose the type of station you want, and then hit SEEK to actually find that type of station (assuming one in your area exists *and* transmits RDS data)

 

[simplesb]

I was wondering what the heck PTY was for and noticed it really didn't do anything at all. As far as my Alpine deck its the IVA-300 and from what I've read in the manual I didn't see it listing it as a option. I do know at least 2-3 of the stations does stream the info, but sometimes the names are off or it stops for one reason or another.

 

[jaak]

I don't remember the details, but RDS has different information in different areas. The RDS in the Murano is half-baked as it only shows part of the info and depending on your local broadcasters, may or may not show more than a Station ID.

Many other RDS capable radios allow you to select which information you want to display. Unfortunately, not the Murano, unless they do a firmware update. It's got the hardware to do it.... Just not the firmware to allow it.

 

[lnichols]

I think a lot of it has to do with the level of RDS support from the radio station. I have two stations here in DC that scroll through the Station Name, Artist, Title. Some stations just display the station name. I don't know if the NAV equipped has better, poorer, or the same RDS support as the non-Nav. DC101 (101.1) and 99.5 are the two stations that transmit the full data. Could be more, but those are the only two I have seen so far.

 

[rhoopes]

It's part of the "Premium Package" so I guess it's only on the "upgraded" stereo.

~ Corin

Unfortunately I think I can confirm that. I've got the "Stripped down" noBose unit (No cassette, single CD) and another fellow where I work has the premium sound. He was telling me about the RDS info he's getting, and I immediately tried the same stations he said provided the data--I got nothing on my unit

I don't seem to get CD titles and track information either, so that may also be a limitation of the noBose unit.

 

[EasternPA]

FYI: 04 Camry RDS support

Had a chance to drive my Mom's '04 Camry in Florida last week. That car has GREAT RDS support.

When you turn on RDS mode, the radio enters a seek cycle for about 10 seconds, and then sorts all the RDS stations into categories. All she has to do next is choose from the list of categories that are found, and the presets automatically preload with the stations found for each category. When she changes the category, all the presets change to reflect her new selection! All without modifying her own, non-RDS mode presets. I was blown away.

She also has a TRAF button to seek out a "traffic report indicator", but I think a station in Central Florida screws it up for everyone by leaving that Traffic indicator on all the time. Finally, she also has a MSG button in case a station wants to broadcast text, such as major incident details, and she can save up to 3 text messages.

Overall, I was very impressed with the RDS support in her Camry.

 

[GravityArc]

Speed up the Info display?

Does anyone know of a way to speed up the display of the RDS info on the non-NAV radio display? It's really nice to have, but switches between words very slowly. Also, is there any way to make it scroll rather than display one word (or part of a word) at a time?

Thanks!
-Ben