930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: bellenseb on November 09, 2005, 11:38:00 am
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I've been to busy to have an aux input wired into my car and am taking a big trip this weekend. I thought I would just get an FM Transmitter to tide me over with mp3s until I get the aux input, but am wary of the potentially awful, interference-laden sound.
Can anyone tell me one they have had a good experience with? Does a magnet antenna that seems to come with some make any difference?
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Wireless FM modulators are always a dicey proposition. The FCC doesn't let them get too powerful and in a big city, you're just not going to get a good sound with one around here.
I've noticed that a big factor is actually your headunit. Some of them do well with the wireless FM mods. Some of them, not so well. You never know.
You are better off just buying a new headunit that has an AUX input, or, if you are in love with your head unit for whatever reason, you can often convert a CD changer port to an AUX input. There are lots of solutions for that. Alternatively, there are some hard wired FM modulators, that power your device and when you turn it on, it cuts off the FM antenna and feeds the device into the FM directly.
Of course, the FM wireless mods built in to XM units work purrty good. ;) I can hook you up with a free one.
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I hate FM transmitters, but sometimes it's the only possibility. I spent a lot of time researching all the various FM transmitters out there and I settled on the Monster Cable iCarPlay Plus Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger for iPod. It's OK. Not great, but it usually does the job. How good of job it does varies from car to car and the location of the antenna in the car and such.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006BKH3S (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006BKH3S)
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Have two and the iTip by far is the better one. The Belkin never delivered a very clean signal whereas the deafult setting with iTip 87.9 works fine throuhgout the city. Got it for @25 @ Target and there's a new "improved" iTUnes II available for $50.
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dont get the belkin one, awful
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I have the iTrip. Good thing it was CHEAP. Around DC you cannot get a totally clear (unused) FM channel. I suppose in East Jesus, Indiana, it might work better. Bad investment for me.
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Thanks for the tips, guys. It will be mostly for relatively rural driving so hopefully it will work out OK. Serves me right for needing a new car a year before most cars are adding inputs finally.
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Cassette player? If you've got one, use a cassette adaptor.
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I have the itrip and use that when I'm in a rental car...it worked great in vermont and chicago. You may want to get one that's built into the charger, though (like the monster one). The iTrip is nice and compact w/out any extraneous wires, which is great as long as you are good about charging the ipod at home. it is also the most flexible in terms of stations you can pick.
One annoying thing about the older itrip is that you need to have all the stations loaded on your ipod in order to change the station (it uses short mp3 files that play a series of beeps to change stations). There's a newer version that uses a rotary dial, though.
They review all of them at ilounge.com
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it's a damn shame there isnt like some rogue radio station out in the middle of the potomac like the sex pistols thing out in the english channel [or was it the north sea?] anyway, i'm sure the border between va/md/dc is international waters isnt it? i dunno, international relations was never my strong suit - just my major in collig. :cool:
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Belkin makes nothing but crap. I never liked the way the iTrip worked, but I've heard that the new iTrips are better. Dave was right: If your car has a cassette player, the cassette adaptor is definitely your best option.