Newsletter
January 2024
Announcing the biggest update to the FMR family
since the introduction of the FMR!
New Product:
BTU Smart-3.2 / BTU-3.2:
The BTU Smart-3.2 is the final culmination of over a year of research and design. This update brings the FMR Configurator capabilities, the ability to fully control the FMR/BTU, to the mobile space.
When a radio is equipped with an FMR-3.0 and a new BTU Smart-3.2, using the free FMR ConnectTM App for iOSTM (AndroidTM support coming soon) the user can control all radio functions from the Equalizer to the balance/fader controls, to the DAB radio station selections. All done in realtime, adjustments are reflected immediately on the radio for instant feedback.
Now radios with no tone control, thumbwheels, difficult knobs, etc. can be fully controlled without the twist actions. The only action that is required is to open Bluetooth Pairing. For Concourse Conversions, the Voice Assist HD can now be controlled, from full announcements, to limited Bluetooth announcements, to only ones that are initiated by the user. The user can also now lock the virtual radio controls so that these functions are only available through the App. This keeps other people from changing the settings or accidentally changing them.
In addition, the BTU Smart-3.2 offers all the latest Bluetooth 5.0 support like wideband speech for higher quality voice.
Much more functionality will be coming to the FMR ConnectTM App in the coming months!
The BTU Smart-3.2 and BTU-3.2 are physically and electrically the same as the existing BTU modules making for easy installation/swapping of modules.
The BTU Smart-3.2 and BTU-3.2 require a FMR-3.0 with 3.0.15 Firmware and 3.5 Speech ROM. These Firmware files can be found on the website and used to update older versions. All current shipping FMR’s are 3.0.15.
For those looking for a lower cost option, the current BTU-3 functionality is still available with the standard BTU-3.2. (BTU-3.1 will continue to ship until the supply is exhausted)
Formal announcement on the website for the new BTU Smart will be released at the beginning of February. Updated magazine ads will come out at the end of February.
Product Updates:
FMR-3.0.15:
Beyond support for the new BTU Smart-3.2, this firmware release for the FMR adds several new features.
Some 1970’s radio like the Cadillac AM/FM WonderBar and Lincoln AM/FM Town & Country radios had a “FM Stereo Only” position on the sensitivity control. This option is now supported on the FMR Sensitivity input with the addition of a 5.6K resistor similar to the existing trig-level capable inputs. Also on the Ford/Lincoln radios there was a separate, physical Scan button in addition to the Seek button. This option is also now supported on the FMR Seek input with the addition of a 3.9K resistor similar to above.
Town & Country radios with motor return mechanisms (vs solenoid or “seek in reverse”) that don’t stop on stations while returning are now supported. This is accomplished by connecting the return circuit to the TAB input on the FMR.
The FMR has always been able to handle grounded wiper low impedance faders and can now also handle low impedance faders with one of the end lugs grounded.
Refer to the FMR Technical Manual for full information on these changes.