Whatever happened to "recall" buttons on radios?

"JCAlan" (jcalan) 06/20/2016 at 14:01 • Filed to: None

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As I was driving my 93 Trans Am yesterday, I was checking to make sure that my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! were still working (they were). But as I was looking them over, something hit me. When’s the last time you saw a “recall” button on a radio? It has been so long since I’ve seen one that I actually forgot they existed.

And they were quite common. In fact, mine are not even labeled “recall,” but are actually abbreviated to merely “RCL” because they were so damn common at the time that you know what it means.

And why did they exist? Its only function is that it takes you back to the previous channel that you were tuned to. I can’t imagine using this, and I don’t think that I ever did. I guess they were picturing a situation where you’re listening to a song that you kind of like, but want to see what else is playing before committing. So you check preset 1, but it’s a commercial so you quickly hit recall to get back to the halfway decent song that you know is playing. Then you try preset 2, but it’s playing Back in Black by AC/DC and that song is sooooo played out that you can’t hear it another time so you once again use your trusty recall button to get back to the song that isn’t as terrible. Then, you try preset 3, and thank GOD, it’s that new song that you love so you leave it there and crank it up, enjoying it all the more with the knowledge that you didn’t have to settle for the runner-up song.

But there are some flaws with this line of thinking. First off, chances are the original just ok song that you found is probably on a preset station already, making the recall button redundant. Secondly, this doesn’t work with seek because you can only check one station away and still successfully escape back to your original choice. The second you hit seek again, it’s gone and hitting recall will only take you back to another song that you didn’t choose. Come to think of it, the recall button is redundant in a seek situation too, because just hitting seek the opposite direction also takes you right back where you were.

So what exactly was the point?

Well I don’t remember ever using this feature, and I certainly don’t miss it. In fact, I didn’t even notice its disappearance. I say good riddance!

Urambo Tauro > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 14:10

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Maybe it’s not quite the intuitive feature that it used to be. The word “recall” brings entirely different things to mind nowadays... Perhaps users might mistake it for an “update software to latest version” button?

Ash78, voting early and often > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 14:10

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Interesting...I had forgotten about these until just now! But even our “previous channel” button on our home TV never gets any use, so it’s a relic of the past for us, as well (we cut the cable, so when you're watching something, it's intentional). As far as usefulness goes, the 90s was full of "feature creep" and this was probably a really easy way to maybe pleasantly surprise the occasional buyer. Probably beats having a blank button on the wheel :D

Ash78, voting early and often > Urambo Tauro 06/20/2016 at 14:14

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Right next to the "TSB" button, which is like RCL, but not as serious. :D

JCAlan > Ash78, voting early and often 06/20/2016 at 14:15

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I’ll take a totally pointless or redundant button over a blank any day.

JCAlan > Urambo Tauro 06/20/2016 at 14:16

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TRUE! You hit the recall button and it automatically connects you to NHTSA.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 14:30

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I thought it was just a GM thing.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 14:33

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Lately it seems the only people using the RECALL button is the automakers themselves.

JCAlan > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/20/2016 at 14:44

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HHHHMMMMM. Maybe it is.

Textured Soy Protein > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 14:57

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All I listen to in the car is Pandora and Spotify streaming from my phone over bluetooth. Maybe a podcast on a road trip. Radio? What is this radio of which you speak?

JCAlan > Textured Soy Protein 06/20/2016 at 15:30

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It was a thing back in ‘93

The Compromiser > JCAlan 06/20/2016 at 18:17

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My satellite receiver has it. If you hold the select button down it jumps to the previous channel.

Nauraushaun > JCAlan 06/21/2016 at 08:18

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If I had to guess it would be so you can easily flick between two preferred stations, acknowledging that radio is shit and full of ads.

It sounds trivial (how hard is it to press the buttons?) but I think car manufacturers are inclined to introduce shortcuts like this that keep your attention on the road.

These days nobody relies on radio nearly as much, so the RCL has lost priority.

Just guessin’

RW53104 > JCAlan 07/19/2016 at 20:06

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While I recall these buttons on both my ‘94 Grand Prix GTP and ‘94 Trans Am 25th Anniversary Edition, I don’t recall ever using them.

JCAlan > RW53104 07/20/2016 at 11:26

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WELL DONE SIR