Radio controls

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <v01530501b1048bc0460e@[206.106.147.12]> pjrose@servtech.com (Phil & Judy Rose) writes:

> In the USA, each time the "ARI-Z" button is pressed, the radio searches for
> stations playing Willy Nelson singing "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".  I
> believe in _other_ parts of the world (Europe and?) the button brings in
> signals from a system dedicated to local highway-safety/traffic/emergency
> messages.

I think the original 'ARI' was limited to the German-speaking countries.

It's short for "Autofahrer Rundfunk Information" - the stations aren't 
dedicated, but they carry regular traffic announcements.  In "ARI mode", my 
Phillips radios will only receive ARI stations.  If you have a cassette or CD 
playing when the announcement comes through, it overrides the source and 
volume.
 
A neat trick is to give your American boss a lift to his hotel from the airport 
with ARI enabled but the radio volume turned down.  He'll nearly jump out of 
his skin when this stentorian German voice booms from 40 watts of Hi-Fi. 

"Achtung Geisterfahrer" is a good one, too.  It means there's someone coming 
the other way down the Autobahn.

ARI is now superseded by RDS in Europe.  Heck, we've even got it in the UK!
 
(Though I use a TrafficMate - _MUCH_ better.)

-- 
 Phil Payne
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club