On the Go FM Wireless Transmitter

On the Go! FM Wireless Transmitter

This is an external device that plugs into either your iPod dock connector or headphone jack. In essence, the unit broadcasts the music playing on your iPod on an FM radio frequency, and you simply tune your radio to that frequency to listen. As an example, suppose you are using an FM transmitter that broadcasts on 88.7MHz. To listen to your music, you would set your car stereo to 88.7.

Some FM transmitters allow you to set the radio frequency manually. This is great, as there is the possibility that a radio station could be broadcasting on the frequency that your FM transmitter uses. Bad news, though, because your car stereo locks onto the most powerful signal, meaning you either do not hear the music from your iPod, or you get "bleed" from both sources. Bleed means you hear both signals, causing you a massive headache! Ever try listening to two songs at once? It is not fun.

Figure 8.1. A typical example of an FM wireless transmitter.

With your FM transmitter, your iPod is in essence a very tiny radio station, and you are the DJ. The range of the transmission is not great, so you do not have to worry about other cars and trucks picking up your music. Nothing would be more embarrassing than the guy in the SUV behind you knowing you keep playing the same song over and over again!

Be aware also that not all FM transmitters perform the same in every way. Back when Belkin first released its TuneCast Mobile FM transmitter, it worked great in my wife's Ford Taurus, but was worthless in my Pontiac Grand Prix. Why? Well, I don't think the fault was with the TuneCast itself, but rather the antennas or radios in the cars. My wife's Ford's original radio was able to pick up many more stations, and in better clarity, than the aftermarket radio in my Pontiac. Perhaps the difference was in the antenna, though on both vehicles they are located on the rear fender. Either way, keep in mind that an FM transmitter does not work the same on all vehicles, so be certain that you are able to return the unit if it does not work in your car.

Another potential downfall to an FM transmitter is that the sound quality, at best, has about the same clarity as a local FM radio station. This is not CD-quality sound, and some audio aficionados want the highest possible sound qualitybut you will not get that here.

On the plus side, some FM transmitters actually charge your iPod's battery while in use! Try that with a pair of headphones. This is great if your car trip is long, and the battery in your iPod only lasts four to six hours before needing a charge.

Another benefit is you can transfer the FM transmitter from one vehicle to another with little, if any, trouble. I own a truck in addition to my Pontiac for when I need to move something large. The stereo in the truck is horribleno CD player! And only two tiny in-dash speakers. But with an FM transmitter and my iPod, I can at least listen to what I want when I want. It made driving the old truck less of a pain.

On the Go! Direct Connection

Not everyone either wants or can use an FM transmitter. Perhaps, like in my own car, the FM transmitter doesn't work correctly. Or, you want a better quality sound. Either way, directly connecting your iPod to your car is the second choice for taking your iPod with you! In either of the direct connect models, wires are the key. Yes, I know you hate wires. Everyone hates wires. Wires have invaded our lives like never before. But wires are the only way to directly connect your iPod to your car stereo if you are not doing so wirelessly.

The Cassette Adapter

The first option is to use a cassette player adapter (see Figure 8.2). These faux cassette tapes slide into your car cassette deck with a wire trailing out. At the end of this wire is a mini-jack plug, which you plug into the headphone jack of your iPod.

Figure 8.2. Using a cassette adapter enables you to play your iPod through your stereo.

These have been around since the portable CD player was first introduced, and can be found everywhere. In fact, I even found one at a local gas station for under five dollars! I don't know how well it worked, but to simply find one so cheap in a gas station of all places should tell you how prevalent these are.

They work fine, though don't expect the highest quality audio if you go this route. It is, by far, the cheapest way to get your iPod to work in your car if you have a cassette player. Most quality units run less than $20, so you have very little invested in it if you don't like the sound quality or the wires.

Tip

If you are unsure if your aftermarket car stereo has input jacks, take it into a local car stereo shop and they will tell you.

The Adapter Cable Method

To directly connect your iPod to the input jacks on your car stereo, you need an adapter plug that converts the mini headphone jack to a two-prong RCA jack (see Figure 8.3). This allows your iPod to play through the AUX setting on your car stereo. This setup gives you the best sound qualitywith no loss of fidelity than if you plugged a pair of speakers into your iPod.

Figure 8.3. Adapter cables provide a high-quality connection between your iPod and your stereo.

Note

Computers and iPods have ports FireWire port, USB port, and so on. Audio components, such as a CD player, have jacks. What's the difference? A jack is usually one-way communication; a port is two-way communication.

This only works if your car stereo supports RCA input cables, which many factory stereos do not. If you have an aftermarket car stereo, you should have RCA inputs. Consult an expert if you are uncertain.

Tip

If you use the headphone jack to connect your iPod to your home or car audio system, remember that the volume control can be adjusted from both the audio amplifier and the iPod.

Because it is usually necessary to take apart your entire dashboard to get to the back of your car stereo, it is best to have a professional install the cable for you. Be certain to tell him where you want the iPod side plug to be, with as much slack in the cable as you need to reach wherever your iPod will be located while in the car.

If you have a boom car, and we all know what those are, chances are you also have an amplifier or crossover in your car as well. Some amplifiers also sport RCA input jacks, so you could connect your iPod directly to your amplifier, thus bypassing your in-dash stereo all together. If your amplifier is in your trunk, you need a very long cable to reach the iPod. The longer a cable, the better the chance of a decrease in sound quality, so keep that in mind.

The price of a mini plug jack to an RCA jack is less than $20 for most brands. Monster Cable (www.monstercable.com) has a higher-quality product called Monster Cable for iPod, which will run you around $30, but they are 24k gold-plated. Yes, gold! Does it sound better? Depends on who you ask, but I like the fact that my iPod is so cool that someone makes gold-plated cables for it!