Comments on: My losing battle with iPod car adapters http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/ Ted Landau is the founder of MacFixIt. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:52:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: jeffharris http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-19 jeffharris Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:28:19 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-19 Face it, Belkin makes second rate stuff. Griffin makes good stuff, but if you want a good FM transmitter, I agree with James, get a Kensington. I've got one of the older Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Chargers and it works great. yeah, I've got to manually hunt for empty stations, so what. It uses an iPod dock-style cable (line-out audio!) and charges while it plays. I've used it with numerous rental cars (US, Japanese, Korean and German) and even in a 20+ year old Peugeot with an analogue tuner on several long road trips around Bulgaria. It's never failed me. http://us.kensington.com/html/11207.html Next time, read reviews at http://www.iLounge.com BEFORE you buy! Face it, Belkin makes second rate stuff. Griffin makes good stuff, but if you want a good FM transmitter, I agree with James, get a Kensington.

I’ve got one of the older Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Chargers and it works great. yeah, I’ve got to manually hunt for empty stations, so what. It uses an iPod dock-style cable (line-out audio!) and charges while it plays.

I’ve used it with numerous rental cars (US, Japanese, Korean and German) and even in a 20+ year old Peugeot with an analogue tuner on several long road trips around Bulgaria. It’s never failed me.

http://us.kensington.com/html/11207.html

Next time, read reviews at http://www.iLounge.com BEFORE you buy!

]]> By: Bubba http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-18 Bubba Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:52:38 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-18 Sometimes simplicity is just that. Simple. I myself hate the radio. hate what comes on, Hate what is played so a simple solution to never get the interference. I have a simple "screw on" antenna for my Truck. I unscrewed it an threw it behind my seat. Now My FM transmitter locks on with no interference. Simple. Sometimes simplicity is just that. Simple.

I myself hate the radio. hate what comes on, Hate what is played so a simple solution to never get the interference.

I have a simple “screw on” antenna for my Truck.

I unscrewed it an threw it behind my seat.

Now My FM transmitter locks on with no interference.

Simple.

]]> By: Jennifer http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-17 Jennifer Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:20:11 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-17 And for all that you could have spent $100-$150 and purchased a third party stereo system for your car that has a line-in/AUX (in the front!) for iPods. I listen to Audiobooks mostly and did that 4-5 years ago. Best $150 i ever spent on my iPod. perfect clarity and sound control. Save thyself the hassle and get hard wired. Seriously. And for all that you could have spent $100-$150 and purchased a third party stereo system for your car that has a line-in/AUX (in the front!) for iPods. I listen to Audiobooks mostly and did that 4-5 years ago. Best $150 i ever spent on my iPod. perfect clarity and sound control.
Save thyself the hassle and get hard wired. Seriously.

]]> By: James http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-16 James Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:30:22 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-16 I'v got the Kensington one http://www.us.kensington.com. that uses a real hardwired iPod connector rather than being wireless, and it actually works pretty well; it also charges your iPod at the same time. The new head units coming out are pretty sweet too, but if you insist on FM this one has been the best I've tried. Having said that and interference, etc. aside, the speakers in your car make all the difference as well; most factory speakers can be greatly improved upon for not much more money. I’v got the Kensington one http://www.us.kensington.com. that uses a real hardwired iPod connector rather than being wireless, and it actually works pretty well; it also charges your iPod at the same time. The new head units coming out are pretty sweet too, but if you insist on FM this one has been the best I’ve tried. Having said that and interference, etc. aside, the speakers in your car make all the difference as well; most factory speakers can be greatly improved upon for not much more money.

]]> By: Snaab4 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-15 Snaab4 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:54:40 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-15 Luckily, numerous of the newer cars are now coming with auxililiary line jacks in the front panel of the radios, so you can connect direct from the headphone port. The new Ford Taurus even has the port in the center console with the power port, so the iPod (or other player) can hide there and remain plugged in to power and the radio. The biggest problem with the FM adapters is the proliferation of FM stations these days. Especially with the FCC openiing up for all the low power stations. I live in Southern Maryland, about 60 miles from DC, and t here's only one station that seems to be clear, but it's not clear for the whole trip to DC. Every other frequency has some weak station coming in from somewhere. Luckily, numerous of the newer cars are now coming with auxililiary line jacks in the front panel of the radios, so you can connect direct from the headphone port. The new Ford Taurus even has the port in the center console with the power port, so the iPod (or other player) can hide there and remain plugged in to power and the radio.

The biggest problem with the FM adapters is the proliferation of FM stations these days. Especially with the FCC openiing up for all the low power stations. I live in Southern Maryland, about 60 miles from DC, and t here’s only one station that seems to be clear, but it’s not clear for the whole trip to DC. Every other frequency has some weak station coming in from somewhere.

]]> By: Brian http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-14 Brian Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:39:36 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-14 Did you have the iPod plugged into the car's cigar lighter? If not, you ran down the battery iTrip is an enourmous drain on the iPod's battery! Did you have the iPod plugged into the car’s cigar lighter? If not, you ran down the battery

iTrip is an enourmous drain on the iPod’s battery!

]]> By: Tiger http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-13 Tiger Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:23:48 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-13 I guess I'm lucky that my new Mitsubishi has audio and video inputs for the MMCS. One $4 wire and my iPod plays video on my main TV screen as long as the car is parked, up to 10 mph, and plays audio at any time. I'll take a $4 wire over $60 wireless any day. I guess I’m lucky that my new Mitsubishi has audio and video inputs for the MMCS. One $4 wire and my iPod plays video on my main TV screen as long as the car is parked, up to 10 mph, and plays audio at any time.

I’ll take a $4 wire over $60 wireless any day.

]]> By: Baroque http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-12 Baroque Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:16:49 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-12 My FM transmitter was recently stolen. Not a great loss; I'd been joking for months that I hoped someone *would* steal it, giving me an excuse to get a better one. Except that I forgot to get a new one before my next long car trip. So I, too, resorted to the cassette adapter I had stuffed in the back of my glove compartment. And to my surprise, the experience was *so* much better! No fiddling with frequencies, no trying to hit Play after tuning the transmitter, and much better sound quality. Nuts to the transmitters -- I'll stick with this for now. My FM transmitter was recently stolen. Not a great loss; I’d been joking for months that I hoped someone *would* steal it, giving me an excuse to get a better one.

Except that I forgot to get a new one before my next long car trip.

So I, too, resorted to the cassette adapter I had stuffed in the back of my glove compartment. And to my surprise, the experience was *so* much better! No fiddling with frequencies, no trying to hit Play after tuning the transmitter, and much better sound quality. Nuts to the transmitters — I’ll stick with this for now.

]]> By: Adam Bell http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-11 Adam Bell Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:15:11 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-11 Perhaps it's your car radio's lock-on that's lousy. My Belkin TuneBase FM with an iPod nano 3rd generation in it's saddle has always worked perfectly on the second frequency the TuneBase suggested (in a Honda Pilot, whose antenna is in the rear window) Perhaps it’s your car radio’s lock-on that’s lousy. My Belkin TuneBase FM with an iPod nano 3rd generation in it’s saddle has always worked perfectly on the second frequency the TuneBase suggested (in a Honda Pilot, whose antenna is in the rear window)

]]> By: Sir Harry Flashman http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-10 Sir Harry Flashman Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:13:20 +0000 http://blogs.macobserver.com/userfriendly/2008/02/05/my-losing-battle-with-ipod-car-adapters/#comment-10 Ted, I have had pretty good luck with my Monster iCarPlay. I think part of the problem is how powerful is the adaptor's transmitter in overcoming a radio station FM signal. I can sometimes hear the distant radio station until I plug in the iCarPlay. I have an older model of the iCarPlay and I see that they too now have one with autoscan. Your next car will not come with a cassette play? Well it will probably come with a built in iPod connection. You could also have an audio shop install an iPod connection, not cheap, but cheaper than new car. Sidebar: Can these blogs set up so that we can use our MacObserver accounts to post? Ted, I have had pretty good luck with my Monster iCarPlay. I think part of the problem is how powerful is the adaptor’s transmitter in overcoming a radio station FM signal. I can sometimes hear the distant radio station until I plug in the iCarPlay. I have an older model of the iCarPlay and I see that they too now have one with autoscan.

Your next car will not come with a cassette play? Well it will probably come with a built in iPod connection.

You could also have an audio shop install an iPod connection, not cheap, but cheaper than new car.

Sidebar: Can these blogs set up so that we can use our MacObserver accounts to post?

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