| · A tube for the preamp stage provides for consistent reception volume
· Blaupunkt produces the world's first FM car radio in 1952
· The "Hinztriller" announces traffic radio messages
On the first day, modern man invented the automobile, on the second day, the radio. The car radio appeared on day number three – and from then on, a conspicuous blue dot was the leading light. Well, it wasn't quite like that, but it was generations of Blaupunkt engineers, who worked on the most important innovations in mobile radio reception in their offices and labs, from 1932 up until today.
Built, patented, admired by the public – hardly a decade passed without exciting world premieres. Here are just some of the milestones from the 75-year history of radio on wheels:
The 1930s: Europe's first car radio
The Autosuper 5 puts an end to mobile radio silence. Blaupunkt solves two elementary problems of radio reception in a moving vehicle: how to protect the delicate glass tubes and – thanks to the "converter" – how to get the power supply from the car battery. A variable-mu tube for the preamp stage makes it possible to provide consistent reception volume. Satellite operation on the steering wheel was also invented. The "chopper" – a revolutionary DC converter – soon replaces the complicated, expensive converter. And self-induction adjustment suppresses the noise produced by weaker radio signals.
The 1950s: FM, station keys and station seek tuning
A variometer is used for station tuning starting in 1950 – a European premiere. In 1952, the world's first FM car radio is a real highlight in Blaupunkt's history. In 1953, the "Omnimat" – a mechanical push-button system – follows to provide for quick station changes. In 1954, automatic station seek tuning ("Selectomat station finder") is introduced. It stops as soon as a strong radio signal is detected. And transistor technology appears on the scene from 1957 onwards.
The 1960s: In-car stereo
The first removable car radio comes onto the market in 1960. And in 1963, the first fully transistorized models appear and sport the dimensions we have become accustomed to in the devices of today for the first time. The first stereo car radio in the world is presented in 1969 – the car becomes a room built for sound.
The 1970s: Traffic radio decoder
The car radio as a traffic assistant: Blaupunkt develops automobile radio information, the "ARI" traffic radio system. The ARI radios (premiering in 1976) are equipped with a decoder, which automatically switches to traffic radio when the latest traffic information is broadcast; the trigger is a traffic pilot signal that is inaudible for the human ear, the so-called "Hinztriller". The quartz tuning system comes at the end of the decade.
The 1980s: Tape deck and CD car radios
In 1980, fans of personal music programs are happy to see the first fully stereo tape deck car radio including digital adjustment and frequency display; the first radio/CD combination for the standard car radio compartment follows in 1988. World premieres include the first car radios with station identification (PCI) and its successor, RDS, the Radio Data System – a decoder makes it possible to identify the stations and to select the optimum frequency.
The 1990s: Digital car radio
In 1991, Blaupunkt presents "TIM" (Traffic Memo), the traffic information memory. In 1995, a car hifi and navigation system with GPS reception, route guidance and spoken driving recommendations sets new standards. 1996 sees the first fully digital car radio; in 1997, the world's first car radio with an integrated cell phone follows, along with the first dynamized radio navigation system in 1998.
After the millennium: From the TwinCeiver to the DigiCeiver
In 2002, Blaupunkt presents the first digital car radio featuring two digital technologies (DAB and MP3), a year later, the combination of MP3 and digital recording. In 2005, the first DVD car radio follows. The TwinCeiver, a dual tuner with a Digital Directional Antenna (DDA), has perfected FM reception quality since 2002: extremely quick frequency switching minimizes the interference caused by multipath reception. Another high-tech development in recent years is the DigiCeiver, which uses fully digital options to perfect the sound quality of the in-vehicle acoustics with Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
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