Apple iPod Wireless FM Transmitters

[pcmodem]

Howdy,
Am looking at iPod accessories, two wireless FM transmitters, which play songs from the iPod through a car stereo FM radio.

Griffin iTrip Wireless FM Transmitter:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T7194LL/A

Monster iCarPlayer Wireless FM Transmitter:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T8585LL/A

If anyone has experiences or owns either of these accessories, any feedback is appreciated.


Thanks,
PCM

 

[mchammer187]

have the griffin it is not bad but could be alot better

i think tape adapter or if your car stereo has an AUX in then that would be a better choice

 

[LordJezo]

...or an FM Modulator.

I had an iTrip for a weekend and took it back as soon as I could. Just could not stand how bad the singal was. Went to Crutchfield, bought an FM Moudlator, hooked it up to the back of my stereo and couldn't be happier.

So much better then the FM Transmitter.

 

[pcmodem]

Cool, I appreciate the input.



Grazzi,
-PCM

 

[Eug]

FM transmitters almost universally suck.

 

[ViRGE]

Agreed, Eug. FM is more or less sub-CD quality by definition, and that's not acceptable for CD-quality sound coming from an iPod like device.

 

[merlocka]

I have the Belkin. Bigfatpieceofcrap.

 

[thorin]

IMHO don't get anything that's IPOD specific like the Griffin iTrip because then down the road it's useless to you when you get a different audio device to use in your car.

These guys make a number of them that have nice features:
http://www.arkon.com/sf.html

I own the SF100 which plugs in to your Cigarette Lighter and can also power your device (if applicable) ... I use it with a Sony NetMD MZN505.

Thorin

 

[Special1Sauce]

they have a thing like that at Radio Hack its called like I donno I forget But you can plug it into a MP3 cdplayer or your lappy and it transmits to your radio

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Agreed, Eug. FM is more or less sub-CD quality by definition, and that's not acceptable for CD-quality sound coming from an iPod like device.

Actually, that part doesn't bother me so much. What bothers me is every single one I've tried cannot provide a strong enough signal so that neighbouring radio stations don't interfere. (I live in Toronto, so there are a bazillion stations around here - clogged FM dial.)

I'm guessing here, but I suspect this signal weakness thing is intentional, because if the signals were significantly stronger, then you'd get signal bleeding into all the FM radios around you, which would be a big no-no for the FCC I'm sure.

I dunno. Maybe it would work better in a situation where you could mount the transmitter right next to the radio and if you were in a region with few FM stations, but I find simply using a cassette adapter (if you have a cassette deck) is much better.

I still don't know why aux inputs on decks aren't more common. H3ll, I'd even pay $100 more JUST to get an aux input vs. the stock stereo system.

 

[thorin]

I drove from Ottawa, Ontario to PEI (all over PEI) and only had to change the station I was transmitting on once. I later found out that the highway I had taken went directly past a transmission tower for one of the channels I had been using. (On the return trip I never had to change it). For the entire trip the transmitter was either in my centre console or sitting on the back seat (my radio antena is above the driver's door).

Also if people are concerned about audio quality then I can't see how anyone would consider a casette adapter over a FM Transmitter.

Edit: Keep in mind Ottawa is the Capital of Canada, and that my trip also took me through Montreal, Halifax, etc....

Thorin

 

[DamnDirtyApe]

I was looking into one of these awhile back, but I heard that if you live in a major city (Toronto, NYC, LA, Chicago, etc.) or any other place that has a maxed out FM band, you are out of luck. If you only travel through rural areas with a few radio stations you should be fine.

 

[abaez]

I live in L.A. area, the iTrip is good *enough* for listening. The only station I can really get anything good is 104.7 though. I have to put it on the dash of my car and I usually get very little to no static with it. The bad thing about the iTrip is the design. The firewire cover is pushed back almost all the way for the holder thing to stick in the firewire port. This result in my firewire cover never able to stay closed anymore because it had been bent all the way back for so long while the iTrip is plugged in. Also, while the iTrip is in use the pressure from the cover being pushed back far always pushed the iTrip off just a little and would break the reception light, it got extremely annoying. When I tried to use the iTrip perpendicular to the ipod, I had to bend my iSkin back just a little which would end up bending that back too. I finally bought a sort of female/male headphone cable to plug into the ipod and let the transmitter stay seperate which has worked out really well.

 

[LordJezo]

Read my words:

FM Modulator

About $70 in parts from Crutchfield. Hooks up to the back of any stereo system. Provides a direct link from any device into the stereo. Easy to hook up, needs only the most basic of wiring skills. Blows away any adapter or transmitter of any kind. Only thing better is an AUX port built into a head unit, but most people wouldnt even notice the difference.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: thorin
I drove from Ottawa, Ontario to PEI (all over PEI) and only had to change the station I was transmitting on once. I later found out that the highway I had taken went directly past a transmission tower for one of the channels I had been using. (On the return trip I never had to change it). For the entire trip the transmitter was either in my centre console or sitting on the back seat (my radio antena is above the driver's door).

Also if people are concerned about audio quality then I can't see how anyone would consider a casette adapter over a FM Transmitter.

Edit: Keep in mind Ottawa is the Capital of Canada, and that my trip also took me through Montreal, Halifax, etc....

Thorin

Basically every review I've ever seen has put audio quality of a cassette adapter over any FM transmitter.

And I would agree. The sound quality is night and day better with the cassette adapter (if you get a good one).

 

[thorin]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: thorin
I drove from Ottawa, Ontario to PEI (all over PEI) and only had to change the station I was transmitting on once. I later found out that the highway I had taken went directly past a transmission tower for one of the channels I had been using. (On the return trip I never had to change it). For the entire trip the transmitter was either in my centre console or sitting on the back seat (my radio antena is above the driver's door).

Also if people are concerned about audio quality then I can't see how anyone would consider a casette adapter over a FM Transmitter.

Edit: Keep in mind Ottawa is the Capital of Canada, and that my trip also took me through Montreal, Halifax, etc....

Thorin

Basically every review I've ever seen has put audio quality of a cassette adapter over any FM transmitter.

And I would agree. The sound quality is night and day better with the cassette adapter (if you get a good one).

On the same token I haven't used a casette adapter since like 1992 when my brother bought one to use with a personal CD player in his car and we weren't impressed with it. So I guess I'm not really a valid judge of them. Though I would point out that tapes have been replaced with CDs for a reason, so IMHO you still can't get CD quality out of a tape adapter (it's always magnetic reading which is inferior). However given my experience I can't claim that a FM Trans is better then a tape adapter, just that neither of them come close to CD quality audio.

Thorin

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: thorin

Basically every review I've ever seen has put audio quality of a cassette adapter over any FM transmitter.

And I would agree. The sound quality is night and day better with the cassette adapter (if you get a good one).

On the same token I haven't used a casette adapter since like 1992 when my brother bought one to use with a personal CD player in his car and we weren't impressed with it. So I guess I'm not really a valid judge of them. Though I would point out that tapes have been replaced with CDs for a reason, so IMHO you still can't get CD quality out of a tape adapter (it's always magnetic reading which is inferior). However given my experience I can't claim that a FM Trans is better then a tape adapter, just that neither of them come close to CD quality audio.

I've heard some pretty crapola cassette adapters in my day, but if you're willing to spend say $30 on a Sony or whatever (instead of $9.99 or a noname brand) the quality is much, much better. No it's not as good as the original signal from the iPod, but I betcha some people wouldn't even notice the difference. Remember, there's no actual tape in a cassette adapter. It's just a fixed head.