Question for people with iPods

Flight · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:15 am Post subject: Question for people with iPods

I own a black 30gb video iPod, and I use it quite a bit. I heard it can be hooked up in your car. I'm currently living in DC, so I don't own a car here, but once I get back home to the OC, I plan on hooking up my ipod in my car.

I heard it can be connected thru a cassette tape deck. However, I don't remember if I have a cassette player in my car or not. Can somebody explain all the possible options I have in doing this? And what exactly is a FM transmitter?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

If you have a tape deck, you can buy a cassette tape adaptor. It will give you the best sound option, if your deck isn't equipped with an Aux input.

The other option, is a FM transmitter. I did a lot of research and found the best bang for the buck is the Macally POD-FMTF. It smokes the Belkin and iTrip. Plus, you can use it in your car, or at home as it comes with a wall plug-in power supply. I have one and don't have any complaints.

Laker_Town · Retired Number Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Posts: 25604

Fm transmitter is a little device you hook up into the earphone jack port so as to transmit the signal onto a FM channel on your radio.(car or home stereo)

Its kinda like when you went to the DRIVE in theater..you set up your car stereo to a specific channel and clip that wire onto your antenna..

OR you buy a car charger/transmitter with a built in dock for your car. You plug in the unit into your cigarrette lighter monut the ipod on the dock and you should be able to charge and listen to your ipod that way.

Or you could have your car "wired" so that you can have a built in dock.(prob the most expensive of your options.

Personally i do the ITRIP even though its the one option open to bad recption, but hey..its cheaper.

Check out you local BIG LOTS/MARSHALLS/ROSS...ive seen really cheap FM tuners for about 15 dollars.. I got mine for 3 bucks

ILoveL.A. · Star Player Joined: 18 Dec 2002 Posts: 1055

You can listen to your iPod through your car's speakers several different ways. The cheapest option is to use a cassette adapter, which sounds like cassette quality audio. Another option is to use an FM transmitter, which costs about 60-80 dollars and varies between sounding like any normal FM station to sounding like the worst AM station audio. You plug your Ipod into this device and it wirelessly transmits the sound from your iPod over a selected FM station.

The only two ways I recommend for hooking up your iPod would be through an auxilary input or an iPod interface adapter. Both of these options give you high quality sound.

If your radio already has an auxilary input, then you could go the cheaper route and by the rca cable required to connect your iPod. You'll have to control the music from your iPod, but this is usually faster anyway. $10-$50

If your radio doesn't have an auxilary input, then you'll need to buy a new radio with one, or one that is iPod-ready. On top of this, you'll need to buy an iPod interface adapter for about 50 bucks. This allows you to control your iPod through the radio's head unit, and will charge your iPod while you drive. Scrolling through your song lists can be a little slower with this option, so be careful. $150 and up

...one other option would be to get an Alpine brand radio(my favorite brand), which only requires a $30 dollar wire to connect your iPod. These radios start around $170.

mike_dee23 · Franchise Player Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 11703

I just bought a new Alpine receiver and jack that connects your radio to your ipod. It's great because I can control my ipod through my radio. I also recently hooked up satellite radio to that receiver... You can't tell that I have either an iPod or Sat radio.

Socks · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:18 am Post subject:

If you want to go higher end, check out the Denison products:

http://www.densionusa.com/allproducts.htm

I don't have one, but was doing some research into this for awhile and reviews tend to be very good and it looks like it meshes into your car seemlessly if you're looking for something that looks nice. Check out the iceLink in particular.

Thugnomoe · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:49 am Post subject:

FM transmitters aren't very good...esp in Socal where there are a million radio stations...

Cassette is fine..that's what I use in my car...I have cassette and 5 disk changer in one...its nice to have both options..it sounds great coming out of my bose system..

I would assume the alpine decks would be better for quality since its direct...

Flight · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks a lot, guys!

Flight · Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject:

ocho · Retired Number Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 53939

Fm transmitters are trash... Don't buy one.

Cassette option is ok but what you really need is a faceplate for your stereo with an aux jack.

Socks · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:54 am Post subject:

So I was looking at some higher end type products to help me out with my ipod in the car. I was very anti FM Transmitter since I'd played with a few and sound quality always stunk.

This past weekend my girlfriend got me the Belkin Tunebase as a gift. I was a little less than excited at first, figuring it was a waste of money, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not ultra-picky about sound quality, but I do look for close to CD quality and this did it. Plus I only changed the station once and I drove from San Jose to San Francisco and all around each of those cities (they're about an hour or 50 miles apart). And both those cities have a lot of radio stations.

All in all, I'd still love to have a direct line in to my car speakers and control the ipod with dashboard controls, but I have to say, this isn't a bad second option and has made me re-think my bias against FM Transmitters.

Mongo · Star Player Joined: 19 Jun 2001 Posts: 2585

lakez34 · Star Player Joined: 24 Apr 2001 Posts: 6130

Anybody know of a quality FM transmitter + iPod car charger? I see so many, but I don't really have too much to go off of when it comes to reviews.

Socks · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject:

Mongo · Star Player Joined: 19 Jun 2001 Posts: 2585

Socks · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:33 pm Post subject:

Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

Do yourself a favor, if you're going to buy a FM transmitter...

Macally POD-FMTF

I've compared this to several different transmitters including; Belkin, Griffin, Monster and Kensington.

The Macally has blown all of them away, on performance and especially price (w/ the exception of the crap Tunecasts).

The only drawback I've heard with the Macally... is some people say it falls apart after a while. Well, if you're plugging/unplugging something constantly... its going to break. Just like a switch... you keep flipping it on/off... the switch is going to break.

I plugged mine in and it stays plugged in. Works beautifully, all the time.

Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

Oh yeah... and you can use the Macally in your car or home, as it comes with a wall plug also (the transmitter slides out of the plug unit). I picked mine up at Fry's for $35.

Exick · Site Staff Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 15880

In my experience, I've never heard/used an FM transmitter that was worth the money. None of them seem to be very good, though JD seems to have had some success with the one he's recommending.

I would go with the cassette option if your car has a tape deck and you're looking to save money. That's what we use in our car.
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Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

Oh... if I had the choice, I'd definately go with the tape option... however the deck in my Xterra hasn't worked in forever. Never was a big deal to me, though... because it had the CD player.

When I got the iPod, I tried to fix the deck... but the damn tray is what's wrong with it... so I looked into the transmitters. I got all kinds of feedback from people I knew... and the consensus was that the sound quality was pretty bad. So I asked to use a few of them and did some more homework. I went over to Fry's one afternoon (on a seperate search) and stumbled into the transmitter section. I asked the moron that worked there, for recommendations and he couldn't tell me (bleep), other than "well... these should be about the same, the price is similar", when I asked for an opinion between the Belkin and the Macally. Though, I did note at the time... the Macally came with a seperate plug for AC use and had the iPod charger also.

So I asked if I could use their web access and the guys in the service department were kind enough to let me check it out myself. I read the reviews on the Macally and was impressed with the high ratings it got, as Newegg typically is very indicative of how good/bad a product is.

Yeah, you have to turn up the volume a little higher than a CD/tape or regular radio... but the sound is actually quite clear and I rarely have to change the tuning frequency.

ocho · Retired Number Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 53939

JD- aren't you amazed at how everyone who works at an electronic store knows nothing about electronics?
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assassin08 · Starting Rotation Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 559

The best source of info. I can think of at the moment would be www.ilounge.com, it has every reviews for a lot of the iPod accessories, along with latest iPod/iTunes/Apple related news... so yeah, check the site out, and no, I'm not some person who's responsible for the site... =) goodluck

Exick · Site Staff Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 15880

Socks · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject:

Yup, it's been many many years since I ran into a sales person at an electronics store that knew more than me about a particular product. That's not because I'm smart, it's because I do some research before walking in. Woe to the uninformed who walk into a Frye's, Comp USA, Circuit City, or Best Buy without knowing what's up ahead of time.

Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

Absolutely TRUE story about an experience at Fry's.

A guy I used to work with and myself went to Fry's to get some BNC connectors, for a network job we were doing. BNC is obviously an acronym (Bayonet Neill Concelman)... but that's what everyone calls them.

B N C connectors

So, we go to the applicable section of the computer/electronics department and start browsing. We've gotten them there before, so we know they carry them. However, we can't find them. Salesman walks up to us and asks if we need any help.

"Yes, we're looking for the BNC connectors, do you still carry them?"

With a straight face and a dumb look, he responds...

"How do you spell that?"

We turned around and walked out.