From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An
FM band expander
(band converter, FM converter) is a device used on
Japanese
car stereo
systems to enable them to receive international FM frequencies, when
used or grey import Japanese cars are shipped
to other markets. Japanese
radio bands
are between 76 and 90 MHz whereas the international broadcast plan is between 87.5 and 108 MHz.
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The unit itself is connected inline between the
radio
and the
antenna
, and it downshifts the frequency of the broadcast by a predetermined amount (generally between 10 and 14 MHz).
Power
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]
FMBE is powered from the ACC line that is also connected to the stereo unit so it is only operational when the radio is active.
Because the Japanese
broadcast band
width has a narrower range than the international standard, the unit may have to downshift the same frequencies by 10 and 20 MHz simultaneously. This is to ensure both 'sets' of frequencies get included in the reduced
bandwidth
, but it can mean that some
stations
can become doubled up.
References
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