Fm Transmitter for iPod

Zorba

Hi all

I'm looking for some sort of fm transmitter so i can listen to my ipod in my car. Bought a cheap one off ebay, tuned it in and the sound is well at best ok no matter what frequency i try and then when i drive around depending where i go the sound just gets worse so that i have to find another frequency.

Does anyone use one of these transmitters that actually work ? I'm thinking along the lines of these:

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/irlstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=OTQ2NjY&fnode=home/shop_ipod/ipod_accessories/car_audio&nplm=TF457

or

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/irlstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=OTA4MjQ&fnode=home/shop_ipod/ipod_accessories/car_audio&nplm=TP803

Has anyone used these or know of one that actually works and has a good sound. I'd prefer to actually plug the ipod into the stereo but the stereo came with the car and is part of the dash so assume the aux plug is buried in the back somewhere.

Thanks in advance

Keano

Do you have an auxillary input on your car stereo?

Martron

i original got a transpod in the states. i changed car and the transpod did no longer fit so i got the new griffin. both worked brilliantly at a 88.9fm (around dublin)

you can be safe enogh using any fm transmitter with its own power source. but you can hear a hiss no matter what happens.

hard wiring it to your stereo is best option

Zube

Zorba wrote: »

no matter what frequency i try and then when i drive around depending where i go the sound just gets worse so that i have to find another frequency.

This is not the transmitter's fault, it's because of interference from all the other stations. This happens to the one I bought too.

New car has a 6 disc MP3-CD player and an input jack, so no more worries.

Robbo

I recently bought an iTrip. At first, it kept suffering from interference no matter what frequency I tried. Then I moved it from US to International mode and set it on 87.5

Been fine ever since.

CLADA

Have been using a Belkin FM transmitter for the last year or so and it is excellent. Think PC World have them for about €25.

Zorba

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Do you have an auxillary input on your car stereo?

Naw, as i said the stereo is buried in the dash of the car, as in it's part of the dash so assume the auxillary is bured in the back somewhere.

Martron and Zube

Hmmm i thought if i bought a good one i wouldn't get the hiss, bugger at this rate it might be better to go back to cds !

Oh thanks for all the quick replies by the way

bwardrop

I've also used the Belkin, but I thought it was rubbish.

There was a similar thread to this a few weeks back. There were a few good recommendations in there.

My car has a cassette deck and I use one of these things -

Cheap as chips and no interference / perceivable loss of sound quality

Zorba

bwardrop wrote: »

I've also used the Belkin, but I thought it was rubbish.

There was a similar thread to this a few weeks back. There were a few good recommendations in there.

My car has a cassette deck and I use one of these things -

Cheap as chips and no interference / perceivable loss of sound quality

U wouldn't have a link for that thread would you ?

Unfortunately my stereo doesn't have a cassette player otherwise i'd buy one of them things too !

Gandalf23

I have an iTrip and I used to think it was rubbish.

Then someone told me to unscrew the ariel from my car. I did this and the iTrip works brilliantly!!!

Zorba

Gandalf23 wrote: »

I have an iTrip and I used to think it was rubbish.

Then someone told me to unscrew the ariel from my car. I did this and the iTrip works brilliantly!!!

What happens when i wanna listen to the radio ?

L-M

Halfords have a very good one. Charges the ipod as well. I think it's around 35? Me thinks... Can't remember...

Tropheus

Have a Belkin FM transmitter and found it to be rubbish. Leaving interferrence aside, the sound was very average.

Got one of these instead. Easy to install and excellent CD like sound quality. Can also charge the iPod and control it form the stereo.

http://www.diceelectronics.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DETEST01&Product_Code=i-Audi-R&Category_Code=DICE_IPOD_AUDI

They do them for different car makes. You can get them on eBay shipped for $160. That's around €110. They work out at approximately €200 if you buy from the UK.:mad:

colm_mcm

get a Dension Ice Link FM, I've had a few fitted, and they're very good, a lot better than an i trip or similar. it plugs into the aeriel jack, so no interference. it also powers the ipod too,

Overature

look for something called the i-trip, its specificallly for ipods, and you can get it for about 30euro in argos

Black_Knight

Got this for the girlfriends car. Its got a great range of frequencys, you can change the frequencys by .1 of a Hz.

Cheap, works, and good sound. Highly recommend it, especially for its price.

Edit: Make sure the cigarette lighter isnt hidden away and can be reached by the power adaptor.
If in doubt, this has an extendsion

colm_mcm

it depends on where in the car the aeriel is. if it's at the back, it can be a problem. I still reckon the Dension Ice Link is the best system. Harmon Kardon (spelling!) do a similar kit for money, but the Dension fits better in the dash and costs less.

Black_Knight

The aerials in the back, transmitter in the front. Not a bother on it, works grand.

If you dont mind not having your ipod charging, and using batteries in the transmitter (in some transmitters) then the dealextreme on is a bit awkward, but theres other transmitters on Dealextreme for similar money.

If its no good to ya, its only about 8 quid, sell it on adverts for a fiver and get the expensive one.

Inevitably

Dixons have a really good one for €35, http://www.ipod-europe.net/category/34/ipod_itrips_fm_transmitters.htm?idCategory=34&gclid=CMCK9ty7gpQCFQuZQwodmjslWw

Zorba

Ok thanks for all the replies, seems no matter which transmitter i get i'm gonna get some sort of interference, some say such and such is good then someone else says it's crap.

colm_mcm

The Dension Ice Link looks to be one of the better options but as i said the stereo is part of the dash so i'm assuming i'd have to take half the dash out to get to the aerial jack.

ksimpson

Your suggestion seems a good idea too but well call me miserable but i'd prefer to hear what i'm getting before i fork out over 110 quid for something.

Anyway thanks to everyone, saved me money buying something that might or might not work, starting to think if i want good sound the hassle free way, cds are the way to go !

colm_mcm

Zorba wrote: »

colm_mcm

The Dension Ice Link looks to be one of the better options but as i said the stereo is part of the dash so i'm assuming i'd have to take half the dash out to get to the aerial jack.

What type of car is it, Halfords were doing free fitting on them a few months ago, and offer fitting (possibly for a small fee, depending on promotions) on the Ice Link.

Zorba

colm_mcm wrote: »

What type of car is it, Halfords were doing free fitting on them a few months ago, and offer fitting (possibly for a small fee, depending on promotions) on the Ice Link.

It's a Mazda 6 03. Lovely Bose stereo in it too, shame i can't get a good sound with my ipod too !

colm_mcm

you are sure to find this very useful:

http://www.ozmazdaclub.com/forum/6-626-how-tos/460-ipod-adaptor-installation-mazda6.html

http://mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=49


oh yeah

Zorba

colm_mcm

Thanks very much for the link just had a quick look through it and seems i might have to do a bit of soldering to do a proper job. Will have a closer look at it before i do anything.

Thanks again for the link

colm_mcm

soldering only required if you're using the CD changer port as your input, and it's only on certain stereo models, for aeriel input, you just need to remove the headunit.

G-Money

I bought a thingy in Argos that seems to work quite well, I think it's Belkin as well. You basically plug it into the car's cigarette lighter and the other bit into the iPod. Then just find a frequency that's not being used on the radio and that's it. You can set a thing on the adaptor so that it goes to the same one each time I think.

Anyway it's pretty easy to set up and I think it charges your iPod battery at the same time which is nice. The only problem is if you want to change songs you might get tempted to start playing around with the iPod whilst driving

What I did was create a playlist that I can listen to when driving and its easy to skip over certain songs on it without taking your eyes off the road.

Zorba

colm_mcm wrote: »

soldering only required if you're using the CD changer port as your input, and it's only on certain stereo models, for aeriel input, you just need to remove the headunit.

Hmmm very interesting and doesn't seem like too much work !! So if i plug it into the aeriel input i assume that means i've no radio then ?

colm_mcm

Zorba wrote: »

Hmmm very interesting and doesn't seem like too much work !! So if i plug it into the aeriel input i assume that means i've no radio then ?

you have radio alright, the plug for the ipod kit plugs into your stereo's aerial socket, your aerial then plugs into the back of the ipod kit plug.

installation is really simple, 2 wires to connect (IIRC)

Zorba

colm_mcm wrote: »

you have radio alright, the plug for the ipod kit plugs into your stereo's aerial socket, your aerial then plugs into the ipod plug.

installation is really simple, 2 wires to connect (IIRC)

Super thats me sold then will have a look in Halfords and see if i can get my hands on one, reckon with the instructions from the other site u gave me i should be able to fit it myself no bother, thanks very much, your a star :):)

thedarkroom

I've used the iTrip on my iPod 80gb and found it useless. It isn't necessarily that the device itself is crap. Where I had a problem is with commuting and crossing between various different broadcast transmitters for radio stations which then overlap the iTrip's frequency and cause interference. I was constantly having to retune to find a space not taken up with a radio station, this would happen several times between Dublin and Wexford.
The stations which broadcast nationally such as RTE, TodayFM, LyricFM, RnaG, etc., use frequencies which extend over several settings and so take up a lot of bandwidth. You then have a lot of localized radio stations taking up a lot of intermediary slots. This leaves no single space on your radio to devote solely to a frequency exclusively for an iTrip to use.
I ended up going to my garage and getting them to install a connector in the glove box which I can then connect my ipod to using a 3.5mm lead. I also got an ipod cradle which plugs in to the cigarette lighter and keeps the ipod charged. It has a switch on the side which allows you to boost the signal a bit so that you don't have to turn up the stereo higher than normal. It is definitely far superior to any of the transmitters that I have used. One thing you need to check though is that you have a power socket at a convenient place to plug this in and that it is not obstructed due to an awkward angle, etc.
The link is to it on Amazon so that you can check it out is:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/6090-5GTFLXAUX-TuneFlex-iPods-Dock-Connector/dp/B000S6LGMM/ref=pd_sbs_ce?ie=UTF8&qid=1214208361&sr=1-91
but they will only deliver it in the UK. I got mine on eBay but I checked there now and the seller I used doesn't have any displayed at the moment. You should be able to get it somewhere else though.

Lord Nikon

Zorba wrote: »

What happens when i wanna listen to the radio ?

Almost all MP3 players have a Fm radio tuner.

Black_Knight

I used the Dealextreme one from Galway to Waterford at the weekend. Changed frequency once on the way down. And not at all on the way up.

Excellent!

kerryman87

Black_Knight wrote: »

I used the Dealextreme one from Galway to Waterford at the weekend. Changed frequency once on the way down. And not at all on the way up.

Excellent!

Ya I got the one on dealextreme as well http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.625

Absolutely fantastic. I don't know how these guys can possibly make a profit selling FM transmitters like this so cheap and giving free worldwide shipping on top. I must admit I was sceptical when I saw the price first but they are for real. Definitely recommended!! Costs around €6 for a superior transmitter than the itrip for less than 1/10th of the price.

chewed

Zorba wrote: »

Super thats me sold then will have a look in Halfords and see if i can get my hands on one, reckon with the instructions from the other site u gave me i should be able to fit it myself no bother, thanks very much, your a star :):)

Hi Zorba, did you have any luck in setting up your ipod? I also have a Mazda 6 and would love to set up a direct input. I have a Monster FM transmitter, which is not great!

bennyc

I have the Belkin Itrip from PC World was about 25 euro works a treat.

chewed

bennyc wrote: »

I have the Belkin Itrip from PC World was about 25 euro works a treat.

I've only used the Monster iCarPlay and generally it's ok, but the problem is on music that is soft or low in volume (e.g. Classical), the quality deteriorates and gets a lot of interference. It's ok with loud music.

chewed

Zorba wrote: »

Super thats me sold then will have a look in Halfords and see if i can get my hands on one, reckon with the instructions from the other site u gave me i should be able to fit it myself no bother, thanks very much, your a star :):)

I was just up in Halfords today. I have a Mazda 6 04. To install this Dension device it will cost €120 and it's €125 for the actual device.

€245 is a bit too much!

delly

This is the exact iTrip I have and it works a treat. Its powered from the cig lighter which means it doesn't drain your iPod battery and it connects to the headphones output which means you can use it for other players or even your phone.

Regardless of what you use, two tips which will stop the hissing:

1. Reduce the max volume output from your iPod by about 20% or so, as it usually only occurs at the higher volume.

2. Select the bass reducer option on the iPod's equaliser settings.

colm_mcm

chewed wrote: »

I was just up in Halfords today. I have a Mazda 6 04. To install this Dension device it will cost €120 and it's €125 for the actual device.

€245 is a bit too much!

That's nuts! they were doing free fitting on them recently. They're a doddle to fit anyway.

rliston

Still free fitting in Halfords Limerick, or at least the signs were still up at 11 this morning and price was €109.99 for the Dension they had.