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BeerAdvocate
03-03-2010, 10:45 AM
Can anyone recommend a good FM Transmitter for my older iPod Nano?
I want something that I can easily play my ipod through my wifes car stereo for when we go on long trips. She has a crappy factory stereo and the CD player doesnt even work so I need something that can be used through a FM station. Thanks

Resipsa
03-03-2010, 10:56 AM
Belkin makes some good ones, run you about $75 if you want to charge it at the same time, the non charging variety goes about $45

Blueface
03-03-2010, 12:12 PM
Belkin makes some good ones, run you about $75 if you want to charge it at the same time, the non charging variety goes about $45

Vic,
I too am interested in one of these to play my iPhone and/or iPod on the road and charge it at the same time.

Question I have is, just how good are these devices?
I gather they transmit via a certain station selection?
Is the sound comparable to a direct connection by me spending $500 for the iPod plug from BMW?

gnbikes
03-03-2010, 12:19 PM
Vic,
I too am interested in one of these to play my iPhone and/or iPod on the road and charge it at the same time.

Question I have is, just how good are these devices?
I gather they transmit via a certain station selection?
Is the sound comparable to a direct connection by me spending $500 for the iPod plug from BMW?

I just bought one of the new Belkin's. It works pretty good, except around power lines....It has an auto-seek function for giving you a station and has several presets you can make when you find what works. It was apz $79 at the Apple store, can be found cheaper on-line.
Garry

Darrell
03-03-2010, 12:21 PM
I have an iTrip. It works pretty well.

J0eybb
03-03-2010, 12:22 PM
FM transmitters are crap. If this is yor only option then go for it.

I hooked up a model from usaspec to my brothers Infinity G35. Took about an hour. It really depends on how easy it is to get to the back of the stereo. His charges, allows the use of his stearing wheel controls, etc.

http://www.usaspec.com/

It was under $200.

Lexxxus
03-03-2010, 12:26 PM
Just upgrade to the new Nano... it has built in FM with the ability to re-wind and re-play radio. Also save features for the music. It's awesome. All that and a decent quality videocam built into it.

Don't waste your money on a cumbersome adapter, just upgrade.

The 64 GB touch does not have these feautures making the new nano the best bang for your buck in the history of MP3 players!

Lx

J0eybb
03-03-2010, 12:30 PM
http://g35ipod.com/galleryThumb.php?skin=1&g=2&p=&g=1

This is what we did in a sense.

Blueface
03-03-2010, 12:41 PM
Just upgrade to the new Nano... it has built in FM with the ability to re-wind and re-play radio. Also save features for the music. It's awesome. All that and a decent quality videocam built into it.

Don't waste your money on a cumbersome adapter, just upgrade.

The 64 GB touch does not have these feautures making the new nano the best bang for your buck in the history of MP3 players!

Lx

I have the new nano with video also.
How does that work with the radio in the car?

Blueface
03-03-2010, 12:46 PM
FM transmitters are crap. If this is yor only option then go for it.

I hooked up a model from usaspec to my brothers Infinity G35. Took about an hour. It really depends on how easy it is to get to the back of the stereo. His charges, allows the use of his stearing wheel controls, etc.

http://www.usaspec.com/

It was under $200.

That is the one I would love to have but don't have the back to bend over under my dash anymore and don't want to cough up the $500 they want to install it for me.

RazzBarlow
03-03-2010, 12:47 PM
I put an iPod interface in my wife's car from a company named DICE. It is pretty cool, basically, the radio thinks it's a multi-disc CD changer. All the factory controls work too. I can control the iPod from the steering wheel.

shilala
03-03-2010, 12:47 PM
I have the new nano with video also.
How does that work with the radio in the car?
I don't know, and wasn't aware the new nano had a built in fm transmitter.
I wired in an RF adapter, a 5mm jack, and an on/off switch in my envoy, Carlos. It costs about 35 bucks, looks nice and clean, and it ain't rocket surgery. You could do it in the Beemer. Any knucklehead at a radio shop would do it for a hundred bucks. :tu
All the FM transmitters suck, anyways. I spent the $75 for the Belkin, and it sucked just as bad as the $5.00 ones from ebay. You won't be pleased, my friend.
If you wanna drive up, we'll hook the stuff up in my driveway. It'd make a nice afternoon. :)

J0eybb
03-03-2010, 12:57 PM
That is the one I would love to have but don't have the back to bend over under my dash anymore and don't want to cough up the $500 they want to install it for me.

Too bad you're not near me. I actually enjoy "tinkering". It all depends on how easy it is to get to your stereo. In my car, its literally 2 screws, and a clip. 10 minutes tops. Maybe 15 minutes to run the wire into the center console.

JE3146
03-03-2010, 12:57 PM
I don't know, and wasn't aware the new nano had a built in fm transmitter.
I wired in an RF adapter, a 5mm jack, and an on/off switch in my envoy, Carlos. It costs about 35 bucks, looks nice and clean, and it ain't rocket surgery. You could do it in the Beemer. Any knucklehead at a radio shop would do it for a hundred bucks. :tu
All the FM transmitters suck, anyways. I spent the $75 for the Belkin, and it sucked just as bad as the $5.00 ones from ebay. You won't be pleased, my friend.
If you wanna drive up, we'll hook the stuff up in my driveway. It'd make a nice afternoon. :)

It doesn't... I don't think he understood the OP's question.

FM Transmitter != FM Receiver.

Prospector
03-03-2010, 01:24 PM
I have the Belkin, and although it does work the audio quality is not that great. If you are at all concerned about audio fidelity then the FM transmitters are not for you.

Resipsa
03-03-2010, 01:38 PM
It doesn't... I don't think he understood the OP's question.

FM Transmitter != FM Receiver.Correct, none of the Ipods have Fm transmitters built into them as far as I know

Resipsa
03-03-2010, 01:43 PM
That is the one I would love to have but don't have the back to bend over under my dash anymore and don't want to cough up the $500 they want to install it for me.Absolute waste of money Carlos.

I get a kick out of their "CD Quality" comment on the website. That's great, for people who put uncompressed music on their ipods, which is maybe 5% of the people out there. If you have 128K mp3's on your Ipod the sound you get isn't going to be CD quality anyway, and FM transmitters is just fine for that.

If not, you can get a new deck for pretty cheap that either has a usb port or an aux. port right on the face of it. Jack directly in from your ipod and you're good to go. Some of them even recognize that it's an ipod and allow you to use the car controls to control it. Check online or even the local Best Buy.

Razorhog
03-03-2010, 01:50 PM
FM transmitters are crap. If this is yor only option then go for it.

I hooked up a model from usaspec to my brothers Infinity G35. Took about an hour. It really depends on how easy it is to get to the back of the stereo. His charges, allows the use of his stearing wheel controls, etc.

http://www.usaspec.com/

It was under $200.

I hooked up one of those to my Toyota Sienna, easy job and I can now control the ipod via the steering wheel and the song titles show on the radio.

poker
03-03-2010, 02:07 PM
I bought one just to try and for the price, its not bad. It isnt great by any means, but for the price I figured what the hell. $14.95
I use it daily.

http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/All-channel-FM-Transmitter-with-iPod-iPhone-Car-Charger/4230160/product.html

kydsid
03-03-2010, 02:38 PM
All the FM Transmitters are ok at best. If you are going to spend less that $30 on go for it. Beyound that I would just replace the deck.

croatan
03-03-2010, 02:50 PM
I bought one just to try and for the price, its not bad. It isnt great by any means, but for the price I figured what the hell. $14.95
I use it daily.

http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/All-channel-FM-Transmitter-with-iPod-iPhone-Car-Charger/4230160/product.html

For $15, I'll give that a shot. I just want to be able to use mine on road trips. Don't really care about around town, which I'm sure is where I'd run into the most static. We'll see how it goes. :)

BeerAdvocate
03-03-2010, 06:30 PM
For $15, I'll give that a shot. I just want to be able to use mine on road trips. Don't really care about around town, which I'm sure is where I'd run into the most static. We'll see how it goes. :)

Same with me. Thanks for the info!